RWBY: Damnaged
by Phantom Thief Sanj-oker
Summary: RWBY AU! Three students from different parts of Remnant: Atlas, Mistral, and Vacuo. All with their own pasts, they come to Beacon to seek a better life. Along the way, they will befriend Ruby, Jaune, and their teams. As love, sadness, and their own darkness springs forward, but together, can they overcome it? Rated M for Kamohoa's Mouth, violence and safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Two years. Two freaking years since I first put my fingers to keyboard to write down the beginning of a fanfiction that had to be stopped due to IRL issues. It's been so long since my story was started. However, after months of depression, months of trying to get my head sorted, and months of music listening and game loving, I've finally, finally come back to the world of Fanfiction Writing.**

**I can't give too much detail as to what happened, other than to say "I'm back, and I'll be trying my best to write more." The time I have been away has granted us… quite a few more volumes for RWBY. I know the fandom has had… mixed reactions to the latest parts, as well as the news we've gotten. HOWEVER, that should not stop us from enjoying the fan works of our fellow writers.**

**For this story, I decided to reboot everything, to give everyone a fresh start with their memories intact. The story might take some twists and turns, but I promise to give everyone a story as enjoyable as they deserve.**

**So, without further ado and no restraint on the imagination flowing from my fingers, let's explore the story that lays out before us!**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Slowly opening his eyes, Ren began to yawn as he sat up from his seat on the airship. Several hours of flying might have proven to be sickening for some, but the relaxing sound of the air served only to cradle him to sleep. It was only his third time ever on such a machine, but the relaxing charm and feeling of contentment never ceased to fully allow him a moment of rest. As he lifted his hand up to brush away the stray lock of pink from his face (at first a joke by Nora, but kept on as a sign of their friendship), the boy slowly stood up and popped his joints awake.

'A wonderful nap… now I only hope that Nora hasn't driven him insane yet,' he thought to himself, stepping from the row of seats and up the aisle toward the stairs. As he walked quietly, most of the other students that had applied to Beacon either continued to snooze, or prepared themselves for their first sight of the school. Some even glanced out of the smaller windows afforded to the seating bay of the ship, hoping for a quick preview glance, or to gaze down at the city below them. But for Ren, as he climbed up the staircase, his attention was drawn to a jabbering, hyper-infused voice that clued him into the placement of where he should go.

"...think that the headmaster, Ockdin or something like that, would be sooo cool! I mean, they offered us a free scholarship! How many people do they give that too?! Ooooh, look over there! It's the ocean! It always looks so blue. Why do you think it's blue, huh? Water always comes out as clear, but then you look at the ocean and it's always either "sea-green" or blue or something! Do you think that the ocean is blue cuz there's like a giant crystal in the water that makes it blue? Or maybe it's something to do with- OOOH! Look look look, that's a big tower! What do you think is inside there? Do you think they might have pancakes there? I haven't had any good pancakes since last week when you and Renny made those amazing BlackJack-Cakes! Speaking of him, when do you think Renny is gonna wake up? I wish he'd get up soon, I wanna ask him if he'd- OOOH! RENNY! Over here! Stand over here with us!"

Waving with an arm in a blur, Nora Valkyrie stood next to the glass, grinning and looking as bright eyed as a doe. Striding over to her, the boy gave a smile as he approached, noting that she never took more than an eighth of a breath to speak in the tirade of words that spilled from her lips to the boy next to her.

"You know, Nora, if you want to know something, you should wait for him to answer, instead of skipping to the next topic…" Ren's words seemed to bounce right off the shell that was Nora's eternal bubbly exterior, as she giggled and gave him a dazzling grin that served only to make him smile more. Her happiness, while infectious, was like caffeine, and if he wasn't careful, he'd become exhausted already after such a nap. "Am I wrong, Hisode?"

Turning at the sound of his name, the teen boy grinned at him. Standing at 6 feet even, with his body wrapped in a cloud-white tunic with a skin-tight looking, black undershirt reaching up to ring around his neck, Hisode was the tallest of the trio. However, whereas Nora was… Nora, and Ren himself was slender, their third member was more akin to Ren's body type. His arms were covered by thick, tight arm-warmers that covered up to his stain-riddled, bandaged hands, while his lower half was covered by stocky, linen pants dyed cream colored. However, wrapped loosely around the lower half of his face, completely around the neck, and with the arms reaching down to knees, a bright yellow-fade-to-red scarf with a symbol of what could best be described as a paintbrush that curved and seemed to paint more behind itself.

"Broth'Ren, you worry far, FAR too much about Nora. (Immediately, Ren felt a bit of a cringe at the childhood nickname that he'd been given) I don't mind listening to her. It's a lot better than being stuck in the cargo hold while we try to sneak some food out of some rich guy's breadbasket," he replied, his voice softening at the second half so that only the three of them could hear. Nora's smile dipped for a second as she remembered those days, but immediately returned when one of those bandaged hands raised up to give her a tussle of her short hair.

"Very well…" His eyes closed as he crossed his arms. The pet name, while childish on the surface, did also remind him that Hisode and he were friends and blood-sworn brothers. A little cringe was worth the price to have him around. Despite their opposing natures (Nora's overactiveness, his own low stamina, and the occasional antics of their brother), it was nice to have someone they could both rely on when the chips were down.

"I hope we get to Beacon soon. I forgot to take out some reading material before I put my bags away," Hisode spoke up, arms crossed against his pecs as he took up a thinking pose. Immediately, Nora gave a sour look.

"Oh no, not those pervy books again!"

"P… Pervy!? It's called anime, and it's an art form!"

"It's a story about a guy who- MMPH!"

Nora's mouth was rapidly covered by both Ren and Hisode's hands, as they looked at her with a look of shock (Hisode) and bemusement (Ren). The girl struggled for a moment, even giving Hisode a knock upside the head with her flailing, before she finally calmed down. Lowering their hands, the girl gave a pout as she crossed her arms.

"Nora, no need as loud as that… especially about my choice in reading materials. Remember, indoor voice unless you're in trouble and need Big Bro to go knock someone's head off," the taller teen said, his smile never leaving his face. For a moment, Nora tried to keep her pout up, but it broke into giggles as soon as he went back to giving her a ruffling on her hair again.

"Oh ok… But if you get to knock their heads, I wanna break their legs!"

"Of course, Nora. And Ren gets to knock people in their guts, so they can feel pain all over."

"Why am I getting dragged into this?" Ren spoke up finally, his eyes darting toward the duo as they laughed and glowed at him. "You two know I'm not much for causing trouble. I would much rather we avoid confrontations..." His voice, however, trailed off as Nora and Hisode gave him a matching pair of pouts. Unfair as it was, they looked to be double teaming him on this.

"But… But Renny, you're part of our family… You are important..." Nora's voice was cracking, as if she were on the verge of tears. Instantly, the last shreds of resistance crumbled before the might of Noraness, as Ren slumped and raised his fist in a reluctant cheer.

"Go us… but, for the love of Gods, can we try to avoid causing too many fights?"

Immediately, the other two broke back into their happiest smiles, which Ren worked to cover up from their line of sight. What came next, however, was when Hisode dug around his pockets, retrieving a purple-colored lighter.

"Nora, did we take out them from the luggage before we put them away? I haven't had a smoke all day." Brushing one of his matching colored bangs out of his face, the teen glanced over to the orange haired girl, who gave him a grimace, with Ren matching her disgust.

"Do you really need to smoke those things? I don't want you getting sick from them."

"Ah, don't worry about it, lil Sis. I know to keep my habit down to only when I have free time… but I need a nice little puff puff," he replied, giving her a final pat on her head. However, she only grumbled as Hisode slipped past her, walking toward the hold with a hum. Glancing back to her, he grinned. "Also, I'm changing out of these crap clothes. I don't need everyone to think I'm a religious nut on top of my other parts."

* * *

_Gods as my witnesses, I will find a way to get these gears to stop sticking. I should definitely look into the more cold-resilient lubricators they sold back in Atlas. Hopefully, my military pass will help get them here sooner. That, or I'll just have to work on investing in some dust heaters. _

Striding past the window, flexing every mechanical joint that he could, Osirius Malachite slapped and prodded the cybernetic arms he'd grown accustomed to for the past 3 years. His dark-tanned skin seeming ever darker thanks to the silver gleam of the tri-clawed robotic limbs, he already struck a figure of impressive stature. At 7''9', he was one of the tallest students coming to Beacon, as well as one of the biggest. With a muscular build that made him look like a brick wall, the most shocking color came from his hair: A radioactive-green and black striped bush that had a tail stretching all the way down to the base of his spine.

However, that was not the only shock to the system that any one would experience. Dragging on the floor, its base connecting around the same area as a normal human's tailbone would be located, was a massive, scaled tail, as thick as a bodybuilder's arm, and twice as long as his torso was. While the tail brought the occasional bigot out of the wood work, it was impossible to truly intimidate the teen, due in part to the massive amounts of brutal training that he'd gone through.

His clothing, while not so shocking, would have given most people pause: His hair was mostly covered by a black bandanna, covering most of his scalp with the cloth, save for the edge where some of the tufts would stick out, and the back to allow for his "hair-tail" to escape. His torso was contained within a moss-green colored leather coat, the sleeves ripped off to allow access for his arms, while a dark-grey tank-top was clinging to the muscular form he possessed. His pair of pants were a casual steel-colored, but the legs were rolled up to the knees to allow for his shoes, a pair of shin-reaching buccaneer-style combat boots, laced as tightly as they could be.

With one final slap on his arm, the last of the frost came loose from within his gears, allowing Osirius to bend his arms in a much more natural way. Nodding to himself, the military teen grabbed up one of his bags, a massive tied-off sack that seemed as massive as his own body was. Swinging it over his shoulder, the dark skinned semi-soldier peeked out of the porthole, curious of the town below.

"Whoa, was not expecting to run into someone down here..."

The voice, shocked as Osirius felt, made him swiftly flip around, his tail slamming into the wall with a loud THUD. Greeting his eyes was a smaller teenager, with a pale skin color that served as a stark contrast to the raisen-colored hair that seemed to frame his face. Behind his head, a long, messy, bushy ponytail bounced freely, as thorny-looking as a rosebush.

"Huh? Oh, er, sorry about that. I tend to stick down in the lower areas due to being so tall. Helps people to feel comfortable. Can't blame them, to be fair. I probably scare kids just by walking down the street!" Giving a laugh, the teenager waited for the stony silence to follow… and was shocked when the other teen only snorted and laughed.

"Oh please, they're afraid of you? We live in a world where a two headed snake can eat a freaking cow whole. You're built like a brick shit house and seem like a chill, relaxing kind of guy! Not to mention, you got some wicked looking mecha claws… or arms. Or whatever they're supposed to be!" Swiftly crossing over to the bags, the smaller teen dug around in the bags, before extracting one labeled "Hisode", a massive Traveler's Satchel, with several smaller bags hanging off the sides with cords holding them tightly.

"My name's Osirius, Osirius Malachite. I'm from Atlas. Now, don't go thinking I'm like the snooty dicks… I'm more at peace with having fun with people, not spending my days at a dress party cuz I've got my eye on some nobleman's daughter. How about you?"

The other teen looked over with a relaxing chuckle.

"Name's Hisode. Hisode Byzan. I'm from… well, actually, I'm not sure where I originally came from. All I can remember is, I spent most of my life in Mistral. Things happened, I'm here with my sister and brother, and we're going to Beacon to learn how to kick Grimm teeth in. Er… well, I say sister and brother, but really they're my adopted little sister and adopted brother. We might not be related by blood, but we're just as tightly knit as iron chains. Headmaster gave us a go-ahead after we were scouted out in a small town. Probably the best news we'd gotten for years." Pulling up a large, purple-colored, feather-ladened coat, the newly established Hisode set it up as a curtain, before shuffling could be heard behind it. "Hope you don't mind, but I ain't much a fan of these clothes… My little sis wanted me to wear them cuz there was this big fear about guys in dark clothing… which makes no sense to me."

"Ah, she probably was referring to those White Fang douches… I get they're trying to fight for the "rights and dignity of Faunus everywhere," and all that, but the shit they're doing? It's just gonna cause another war..." The Semi-Soldier leaned against one wall, watching the curtain bounce and shift with movements for a moment, before he chuckled. "So what are you down here for? Just changing clothes or did you want to avoid the swarm to see the school?"

"Well, my sister and my brother are up in the observation deck, and I told them I came down here for my clothes, as well as to get my packet out. Nora, that's my sis, she hates it when I smoke, but it's the only way I can ever really relax. Plus, it's not like I have to smoke like a chimney, I just need a little puff puff to get through the day," came the response, as Hisode pulled down the fluffy "curtain" and wrapped it around his shoulders. Attaching one golden chain from one side to another around the front of his neck, he stepped out of the shadows and exposed his outfit to Osirius.

The first note was that he'd gone from wearing a pair of baggy pants the color of cream, to wearing a pair of camo pants (though the color choice was more akin to the shades of purple, so he'd only really hide his lower half inside of a winery) that contained several pockets that seemed large enough to hold clipboards in each one. His shirt was now a much baggier-looking vest, closed shut by several buttons, and made out of what looked like patchwork denim dyed three shades: Gray, Silver, and Steel. Under the vest, a purple and dark-gray hoodie was fluttering with every move of his arms, the bandages on his hands just barely visible under the sleeves. His boots, shining with a gold detailing, had the light purple laces, which wound their way up the entire length of the boot, contrast against the much darker leather of the actual boot.

"God, does it feel better to wear my usual outfit… I hate having to wear those stuffy white clothes. I feel like I'm wearing some kind of religious outfit or something. 'All hail the White!' and 'Praise to Purity!' and stupid shit like that," Hisode laughed, before wrapping his scarf around his neck and pulling the hoodie up to his forehead. His other hand dug into his vest, and withdrew a small packet.

"Smoker, eh? I never took up the habit… Not that I'm against those who do it, just… not my thing. But you may want to hold off until we get to the Academy. I don't think the others would be happy if their luggage smelled like tobacco." Osirius rubbed his chin as he thought about the many, many times he'd heard his fellow comrades getting into fights over smoke smells getting into clothing, not to mention that the very presence of it seemed to cause people to go into rage-filled rants over them.

Giving a sigh, the other teen pocketed both the packet and the lighter in his hand, glancing down at the pocket with an almost teary look of resignation. However, from the stairs, a pair of steps came stumbling down, as a third figure tumbled down the steps with light, curse-filled language.

"Shi-fuck-gah-ow-bit-DAH…!" The rolling mass was stopped by Hisode's hand, catching the student and helping him slowly to his feet, giving both of them a good glance at him.

The first thing they noticed about him were the bandages and gauze wrapped around his face, reaching down his neck and under his clothes. One of his eyes, the only one not covered by the medical wrappings, was glancing at them both with a teal-colored iris, while his mouth was in a slight downward arc. His torso lay exposed, showing off more of the bandage, under an unbuttoned ocean blue jacket with black patterns growing from the shoulder and shooting outwards. His legs, which were doing their best to prevent standing on the freely drooping bandages over his body, were contained within a pair of navy-blue pants, baggy enough to cover whatever footwear he had, and give the new comer a younger-than-actual appearance.

"Egh… thanks for that. I've been stumblin' down the steps of this damn ship all mornin'," Came the ever-so-slightly accented response, which served to show the sharp, pointed teeth that he sported. With a chuckle, Hisode took a spot against a window, sitting down slowly.

"Ah, don't be so muddled. Shit happens, after all. Welcome to the club of those… trying to avoid the other people. I'm Hisode, that massive shadow overtaking the sun is Osirius… Osi… Riu. That's what I'm gonna have to start calling you, cuz there's no way in hell I'm remembering that name," he said, as the bulkier teen laughed with a huge grin. His own teeth were mostly normal, except for a broken front tooth and a broken canine, two teeth that had been broken since he was a kid.

"Riu? Come on, give me a better nickname than that… How about Sirius? Like the star?"

"Wasn't that a shitty radio station they tried putting in Vacuo? The stupid radio that would only play soft rock or whatever? Oh, erm… my name is Kamohoa, by the way," the newest arrival stated, looking more comfortable than some would. The two of them glanced at him, before Hisode grinned at Sirius.

"I don't think I'll be that much of a dick to him. We've only just met and I'd rather not cause anyone to hate me just yet. Nah, better to wait until the 3rd year before trying to pull any kind of shady shit on someone, savvy?"

The three teens laughed and the last bit of awkwardness finally left the room as quickly as it had come. Soon, conversation turned to their thoughts on Beacon, on how the headmaster was apparently a highly respected individual within the kingdoms, save for Atlas. ("But then again," said Osirius, "Atlas is mostly stuffed with noble dicks and their prissy parties… Cept for one girl, but I haven't seen her in years.") The other countries, meanwhile, had their own academies, but for their various reasons, the others had chosen Beacon.

Hisode: "I'm going to Beacon cuz my sister, brother, and I was given a scholarship to the school, after we helped out a town with a bit of Beowolf trouble. My sister was upset cuz we've not found any Ursa Grimm yet, but I figure by the end of next week, she'll be more than ecstatic about the fact we're learning how to kick the asses of any and all Grimm we see. It'll be a hell of an experience, I hope. Not sure how they're doing teams, though. Maybe we're supposed to pull them out of a hat?"

Kamohoa: "I came from Vacuo. I know, I know, it's weird that a guy from Vacuo would go to someplace with MORE rules, but to be honest, I wasn't much for the desert-like area of Shade Academy, and Oscuro… yea, no. I'm not going to a place where I'll be training in a cave. No thanks. I'd much rather have access to a mild climate and some good ol' books, not to mention get away from some shit in my life…"

Osirius: "Actually, Beacon was my second choice. I completed my training within the Mantle Company Encampment for Soldier Training and I was about to join the Atlas Academy when my Commander, General Ironwood (Hisode: "THE GENERAL IRONWOOD!? Holy Mother of the Gods!" Kamohoa: "Damn…! We got ourselves a real soldier boy with us.") said that I should actually consider Beacon. He said that due to my being a Faunus, the people in Atlas might… not give me as much credit as I was due, that Beacon's relaxed racial relations would make things a lot easier on finding my team. He said something about how I should definitely go there to make new friends and meet old ones… I guess some of my company decided to join up with Beacon as a relaxing time. Haven't seen them though… maybe I took a later shuttle."

The three of them continued their talking, when a sound slid down the steps. Along with the sound, trailing behind it and gripping the railing, a blonde teen with armor, jeans, and a hoodie slowly stumbled around, looking air sick.

"Aw god… Hey, would you two hold him up? I got some seasickness pills in my bag." Striding past the two as they helped the boy sit on the steps, with Osirius grabbing a glass from the reserve bathroom and filling it with water, Kamohoa dug into a large duffle bag, producing a small box within moments. Retrieving one of the pills, the bandaged teen handed them alongside the glass of water to the sickened son.

After chugging the pill and water together in short order, and taking a moment to relax and reorient himself, the blonde glanced up to the trio and smiled.

"Thanks for the help, you three. I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc. Ladies love the name… or they will."

* * *

After several hours more of flight, a final stop to pick up the last students to enter the ship, and the sound of the quad talking in the hold, the Shuttle finally began to land. The excited voices of new students began filling the observation deck, while the four grabbed their own baggage and began to head out of the docked bridge. Behind them, other students began to file past, carrying their own bags with looks of wonder or relief at the school building.

Hisode, standing at the edge of one walk, watched as Ren and Nora carried their two bags with a small smile (Ren) and a huge, exuberant grin (Nora). The other three watched as the brother and sister joined him with minor haste.

"Everyone, this is my sister Nora Valkyrie, and my brother, Lie Ren," he said proudly, flipping his violet bang out of one eye as he spoke. Osirius, ever the gentle giant, moved first, holding out his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Osirius. Met your brother in th-"

"Oh my gosh, you're SUPER huge! You have robot arms! Can you change them into cannons? Are they heavy? Do you do normal weights or do you have to do like, robot weights and stuff? Do they act as weights for you? Are you strong? You look strong. Not as strong as me, but you look REALLY st-"

"NORA!" The two boys had to clamp hands over her mouth just so that she would take a breath, as Osirius… burst into laughter.

"Geez, Hisode, you didn't tell me your sister was so curiously sweet. Well, to answer your questions, Miss Valkyrie, no I can't, they're about 97 pounds each, I do lift normal weights, I would say I'm pretty strong, and yes, my arms do act as weights for my shoulders, back, and chest. I don't just drink milk to get this big and strong… but it helps!"

Nora gave a beaming smile, as Hisode and Ren only could glance at each other in relief. The introductions flowed freely after that, with Nora able to keep her question bug down after being answered by Osirius. However, as they stepped toward the school building, a crowd of people rushed by, with a blonde girl waving backward as she left with them. The crowd, not seeing Hisode, struck with such force, that he was sent spinning in place, dizzy with confusion.

"Whoa….! Whooooaaa…. Oh, that's not gonna make this any better..." With a shake of his head, the trio looked around, before seeing a girl in a red hood topple over onto a suitcase carrier. Kamohoa, being the one closest, got over to her first and winced.

"You alright there, miss? You t-" was all he got out of his mouth as he reached over to her, helping her stand up when a girl in a white dress suddenly rushed forward, looking cross.

"What are you doing!?" Her ice-blue eyes narrowed down at the red-hooded girl, who looked slightly upset at the accidental tumble. "Do you have any idea what kind of damage you could have caused!?"

Kamohoa, giving a small glare with his one visible eye, grumbled an apology as he handed one of the cases to the girl, while the other three (Ren and Nora had headed off to the auditorium, swept up by the crowd from earlier) stood there, in states of confusion.

"Give me that!" She yelled, grasping the case and opening it to check the contents. "This is Dust mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry. As in, Fire, Lightning, Water, ENERGY!" As she babbled, one hand grasped hold of a container, shaking it around and causing the particles to fill the air. Thanks to his bandages, Kamohoa was in the clear… but the red-hood girl seemed to be not so lucky, the dust filling into her nose.

"Uh-oh..." said Hisode, as he dove behind Osirius. Jaune followed suit, as the tall teen glanced over at them, a bewildered look on his face as he stared at the back of the white-haired girl.

"What in the world are you two-"

"AH-CHOO!"

**KRAK-KA-BOOM!**

From the sneeze, a massive explosion was set off, causing soot to fill the air. Kamohoa, Red-hood, and the white haired banshee were covered by the darkened dust, which only caused the angry girl to become even more aggravated.

"Unbelievable! THIS is exactly what I was talking about!"

"I-...I'm really s-" was all the girl in the red-hood could say, before Kamohoa growled and stepped in front of her.

"Oh shut up! You were the idiot who was shaking the bottle like a damn maracha! You caused the Dust to fly in the air!"

"Oh, so it's my fault, you wanna-be mummy knock off?"

"YOU'RE GODDAMN IT IS, YOU SNOW-WENCH!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME, YOU LOW-DOWN DOG!?"

"YOU NEED ME TO CLEAN YOUR EARS OUT!? I CALLED YOU A SNOW-WENCH, AND HERE'S ANOTHER: CRAZY BITCH!"

"Oh, YOU INSUFFERABLE JERK!"

"SPOILED SOW!"

"Ok, ok, calm down you two! Whoa there!" Racing inbetween them before they could come to blows, Hisode, Jaune, and Osirius placed their bodies between them, with Hisode working to hold him back, as Jaune stepped around Weiss to catch her if she moved. Meanwhile, taking the middle ground, Osirius held up his arms. "Let's just calm down here, and get this cleaned up."

"Why should I hav-… to..." The white haired girl's struggles stopped the moment she looked right at his face, a look of confusion coming first, before utter shock filled her voice and eyes, and her jaw hung open.

Osirius turned to look at her… and he followed suit. The two of them stared for a moment… and then…

"Osirius!?"

"W… WEISS!?"

* * *

**AND THAT, ladies and gentleman, sets up the first chapter of my first story in forever and a day. Please remember the favorite the story for updates if you like it, and leave constructive comments and critque as well!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jaune, the girl with the red hood, Hisode, Kamohoa, and Osirius walked along the stone pathway, with the largest of the group giving a dazed, stupified look as he walked alongside them. His eyes were unfocused, which led to both Jaune and Kamohoa both trying to pull him out of the way of possible dangers. Hisode, chuckling to himself, only shook his head, the one bang over his left eye never swaying too far from his face.

_'Well, that's interesting. So not only do we have the legendary Weiss Schnee in our school... but Super-Soldier here knows her? Too bad she just kind of ran off... would have been nice to get to know her. Then again, judging by the look on Kamohoa's face, I'm pretty sure he'd rather have sucked face with an Alpha Beowolf, and thrown in tongue for good measure...'_

"Um... Sorry for... ya know, the explosion, earlier," came a slightly timid voice within the group. Glancing back, the boys noticed that the red-hooded girl was giving a glance at them, before ducking her head back down. "I'm, uh... I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose. Heh... oh god, why did Yang do this to me? I can't t-"

"Nice ta meecha, Ruby. Name's Hisode Byzantine. Came from Mistral with my brother and sister... You, uh, probably won't see them yet, but that's because they got pulled off in the direction of a crowd. Nora probably loved that, she's always been the one to get hyper. Ren... is probably trying to keep from being trampled," he added wistfully, his hand brushing over his chin as a smile broke over his face. The image of his less-enduring sibling's face as he'd pant and cling to Nora for a breath made him chuckle and laugh about their endeavors.

"Kamohoa Yale. I'm from Vacuo. I don't have any siblings. Came to Vale because I hate the heat, I didn't want to live in a cave, and I'm not in the mood to deal with lazy pricks for my teammates," came the response from the bandaged teen, who'd taken up a spot next to Ruby beside Osirius. "And the big guy next to us who's currently in a daze over the Wicked Bitch of the West is Osirius. Not sure about-"

"She's not that bad. Just... I just... she's changed, but I swear she's still Weiss. She's really nice when you get to know her. I promise. Maybe she just had a bad day, you know? Everyone's entitled to a bit of a bad day."

"Os, she almost bit Ruby's head off... for SNEEZING. I don't know what kind of Hyde and Jekyll kind of deal she's got going on, but I can tell you right now: That's NOT having a "bad day". That's being a spoiled little princ- GAH!"

Kamohoa's face slammed into the ground, one of his bandages having slipped down during his mini-rant to drag against the ground. His foot had found the spot to pull down against it, causing his entire body to lurch forward into a hard slam into the ground. Groaning with effort, the teen pulled the wrapping off his boot and tucked it into his pants. Before he could stand up, however, Ruby's hand held out in front of him as she stepped out.

"You alright, Kamohoa?"

"Uh... I uh... Yea, just a trip..." He blinked that one eye at her, confusion etched across his entire face before he took her hand to stand up. At that point, the blonde who'd joined them at the start gave a cough.

"Um, I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc. I... uh, you know, I would rather not talk about my home. Having to grow up with 7 sisters was a pain as a kid-"

"Seven sisters? Oh dear Gods, you poor man," Hisode said with a look of shock and pity. "How... just, how the hell did you survive? I mean, I love my baby sister, but Nora is a warhead of energy and crazy. Also, quick note to you all: If a girl with short orange hair, really light blue eyes, a white sleeveless top with a heart over her collarbone, and a big grin on her face asks you for any caffeine? DO NOT give it to her. You will lead to the destruction of Beacon. If all else fails, call me or the black haired boy with a pink stripe in his hair. We'll... try something. Possibly feed her pancakes, if all else fails. She loves Ren's pancakes more than mine, but that might be because, according to her, I-"

"Burn them like they were going out of style!" A hyper voice came from nowhere, before said girl jumped out of a bush and clung to his back, laughing as she did so. From the same bush, Ren came out, huffing and puffing with effort.

"Nora... Don't... go running... that fast... Please..." He leaned himself against a tree, wiping his brow and gasping for air, as she only laughed and hopped off her spot. The picture of innocence, she might have tried to be, and it would have worked had Hisode not been faceplanted into the ground from her kick.

Jaune, to his credit, did not even seem the least bit upset, even laughing and pushing his own hair back.

"I think we can agree to that. I have a baby sister who you cannot give any kind of soda or coffee too... Mom would have killed us. Dad would just laugh it off. But, my sisters... all of them just love to torment me. Saphron, for instance... She's my oldest sister, married in Argus. She used to be the ringleader of the group and lead everyone in making my life a living hell. My little sister, Amber, might be a sweetheart, but dear Gods above, every single time I do something, she has to copy me..."

"Awww, that's sweet! She wants to be like her big brother," came the reply from Ruby, as Hisode and the others laughed warmly.

"Yea, it was cute at first but after a while it got annoying! Oh, and when they would try and put makeup on me, she'd be the one to cover me in white foundation till i looked like a ghost!"

"I'm pretty sure that's how it goes, being a brother to six sisters. Just got to learn to roll with it, no?" Hisode's grin spoke volumes about his enjoyment of listening to the poor Arc's treatment by the hands of girls.

"At least your sister doesn't go off to thumping loud techno clubs and get into fights with the staff, or go out to beat the heck out of a bully from your school for making fun of your cape," Ruby muttered under her breath. "Yang almost got us both kicked out for that stunt."

"Ruby, I like the sound of your sister already. She sounds like me, when I gotta protect Nora from-" Hisode began, before Nora gave a laugh and a shake of her head, looking as bouncy as ever.

"I told you, that guy didn't do anything! He just said I had a boyish haircut! I've gotten used to people saying stuff like that all the time. It doesn't bother me, big bro."

"I'm just looking out for you. Plus, he didn't JUST say you had a boyish haircut. He made that nasty comment about your skirt!"

"Well, in his defense, it was covered in soot. But on the other hand, the other comments about her were... unneeded," Came the soft, calm voice from Ren, who recieved a nod from Hisode with a smile.

"Exactly! See, Nora? I was just standing up for y-!"

"Anyway! So, who are you, Sir Blonde Knight of the Sneakers? Oooh, you have a sword and sheathe! Do they change into a sniper rifle? or do they fire lasers? OH! What if there's someone with a Semblance to do that?! What if they can like shoot beams like "Bzzoom, Bzzzooom!" What abo-"

"Breathe, Nora," the two boys said, as Jaune blinked and glanced at the sword at his side. His hand once more crept up to his hair, brushing it in an awkward way as he chuckled softly.

"Uhh... It's just a shield and sword... I can fold the shield up to... like... not have to carry it. Heh, no lasers... or sniper rifle."

"No, that'd be my darling right here!"

CRASH!

Ruby's hand flipped out behind her as she slammed an enormous scythe down onto the ground, giving a happy smile.

"This is my Cresent Rose. My Customizable, High Impact Sniper Rifle Scythe, built her myself with some help from my Uncle. Oh, and my dad."

"That... is so cool!" Nora's eyes glimmered, before she looked around them. "By the way... does anyone know where we're supposed to be going?"

* * *

"There is no gods damned way he's going to be able to eat that."

"I don't know, if you stretch your jaw big enough, anyone could-"

"It's got 4 fucking different slices of meat in there, and two of them are almost as big as my steak!"

"Easy, calm down off the swearing. I'd rather not have... uh, what was her name, Miss Goodwitch? I'd rather not have her attack us. Also, if Ren and Nora sit with us, I'd rather not have Nora become a energized bundle of power, cuddles, AND swear words," Hiscode explained, as he placed one of the cups of strawberries onto the tray he held.

"But... but that's how I fu-... Ugh, fine! But you have to agree that is a rediculous sandwich! My jaw is cracking as I look at that thing!" Kamohoa's eyes were glued to the monstrous sandwich that lay on Osirius' tray, while the teen picked out several other plates of food to serve as sides. "Dear gods, he's serious! What does he have, super metabolism?!"

"Well, he's really strong, he's taller than any other student, and we're going off to fight in a giant forest full of monsters without any supplies beyond what we're given to do a 24 hour challenge in a forest. Maybe he just wants to carbo-load?" Hisode's smile did nothing to alieve the utter shock on the other teen's face, as the duo glanced around the cafeteria. Most of the other students were mumbling to each other, pointing out the oversized Faunus, as he moved about the line to load up two separate trays with food.

"I really, really hope Beacon doesn't have a food budget. Otherwise he'll make all of us starve, if that's how much he eats normally."

"Hide! Kamo! Over hee-eeeereee!" Nora's hyper voice was only matched by the rapidly shaking arm over the crowd, her huge grin having not left her face. As the two turned, Osirius quickly approached them, joining in as the trio sat with their backs to the windows, Kamohoa giving a space from the calmer two, sitting right across from Ren.

"OOOOOOOH! You must really really love food, huh, Ossy? Wait, the headmaster is Ozpin... Oz, Os... You can be Os 1, and he can be Oz2! NO! O2! Nah, he'd probably get really annoyed if we called him oxygen... he'd probably give us detention. Or we'd have to help out with the teachers. By the way, did anyone catch some of the professors? There was that one guy with the REALLLY big gut and the bushy moustache and the red coat? Maybe he eats as much as Osirius does! Is that even possible for you to eat? I mean, you'd have to open your jaw REALLY wide for you t-"

"Nora, breathe!"

The two boys who spoke up glanced at the hyperactive girl, who giggled and went back to chomping down on a stack of pancakes, which were being served at dinner for some reason. Nestled on her tray was the syrup bottle, a straw stuck through the opening after she'd lathered the entire plate in the sticky substance, which drew Kamohoa's eyebrows together before he opened his mouth.

"Don't ask. She does," was all Ren said, his own focus now on a plate of steamed vegetables, rice, and what appeared to be dumplings. A sensible plate, at least, while Kamohoa picked the steak up with his fingers and dug his sharpened teeth into the defenseless meat, tearing off a chunk with grunt.

"Kamohoa, please use your fork and knife, please... We're civilized here," Osirius said, smiling warmly to the teen as he sliced through his sandwich with his own knife, cutting off a small piece and chewing it down very politely.

"I thought you weren't into the whole snooty crap," was his muffled reply.

"No, but I do prefer to live like I've not been in the wilderness for most of my life."

"No offense taken, but Nora, Ren and I lived in forests, valleys, and caves for 12 years, Osirius," Hisode spoke up, as Nora was entranced in Fluffy Pancake heaven and Ren sipped his tea slowly, giving a slight nod in agreement. However, before the largest of the group could sputter out in shock, he grinned at him. "But that said, I agree. Kamohoa, can you at least cut the pieces apart? Don't want you to drench-"

"Hel-loooo!"

From behind them, a pair of girls appeared, sitting next to Kamohoa's sides. The first was Ruby, her tray holding a plate of pizza and vegetables she picked at with reluctance, a glass of milk, and a stack of 5 hand-sized cookies. However, what had caused Hisode to stop mid-sentence was the girl who sat between him and Kamohoa.

The first thing that he thought was that her hair was a sun flare that had come to life. So bright and dazzling, it streaked down her shoulders and onto her back. Dressed in a brown jacket and shorts, with a yellow shirt underneath. Boots clacking on the floor with a lavender scarf tied around one leg, she sported similarly colored eyes, and a smile as big as Nora's own.

Immediately, all thoughts Hisode had shut down instantly, which was good as the blonde beauty next to him spoke up.

"Hey, you're that guy who Ruby said helped out with that crazy crabby girl. Thanks for helping out my sister there, champ!" With that, she slapped her hand onto Kamohoa's back, as he pulled a chunk of steak free. Immediately, he inhaled the chunk, giving a gag as he accidentally swallowed it down whole. Coughing and gasping, he grasped the water glass of his tray and chugged it down, while Ruby gave the blonde a pout.

Hisode's eyes were kept darting between his food and the girl, before Kamohoa thumped his chest and gasped to life.

"Wasn't entirely my ideal. Just got there before Hisode did. By the way, he looked shell-shocked to see you. You two know each other?"

_'You traitorous bastard!'_

"Oh? Well, I can safely say I've not met him before... I think I'd recognize someone outside of my family wearing a cape," she joked, laughing a bit and causing Hisode to glare at Kamohoa. He'd get back at him for that, later...

"Ahem... Actually, I was not shell-shocked, I was... looking for someone. I thought I saw- JAUNE! There you are! Over here!" His eyes had scanned the cafeteria, praying he could pick someone out of the crowd to use as a subject. Thankful to see the blonde, he jumped to his feet and called out to him, waving his arm in a much slower fashion than Nora had done. The new arrival only giggled as she watched his attempt to wiggle out of the awkwardness.

"Hey everyone, how's everyone doing? Uhhh, you're Yang, right? Ruby's sister?" Jaune took a seat opposite of Osirius, leaving them with only a few chairs left for space, before pointing toward her.

"Yep! Yang Xiao-Long's the name. butt-kicking's the game. So, did anyone else think that Ozpin was a little, ah... blunt with his words for the speech? I mean, jeez, talk about demotivating," she said, stabbing a piece of chicken with her fork and chewing it with a glance at everyone.

Indeed, the way he'd spoken seemed as if he'd lived through years of war and hardship, but the last war had been decades ago. The man might have had grey hair, but he didn't look THAT old. Then again, it probably wasn't easy to keep fighting the Grimm every day of your life. With a sigh, Hisode turned toward the silent member of their group.

"So Osir-" was all he got out before his eyes, as well as the others, eyes (save for Ren's eyes widened only slightly) bugged out of their sockets. Somehow, within the span of time they'd had spent talking, the massive male had downed not only his enormous sandwich, but the three bowls of mashed potatos, four slices of pizza, two large cups of cider, a bowl of jello, eight breadsticks, five sausage links, and was finishing the last of his four BBQ ribs, wiping his hands with a napkin in a slow, methodical way.

The first to speak was Kamohoa.

"How in the name of living fuck did you eat that? Where the fuck did it go?!"

"Language!"Hisode said without even a second thought, even as he stared at the much taller male, who blushed and wiped his face off slowly and carefully, sipping a glass of water before speaking.

"Well... Erm, I've always been a big eater. I just... forgot to eat breakfast and lunch today. This has been my only meal today, so-"

"Dear gods above, you're a tank...That's the only explanation for this fucking insanity."

"LANGUAGE!"

A giggle escaped from Ruby, as she covered her mouth and shook her head, chewing down one of her cookies for lifting the glass up to her lips. Yang, on the other hand, only smirked at Hisode, causing him to duck his head as he finished his own meal quickly and quietly with slightly flushed cheeks.

"Ok, seriously, no one's gonna bring up Hisode just said 'Language'?" Kamohoa's question went unanswered, however, as the teen in question leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms under his chest as he-

His hands rested within empty holsters.

"...Nora, where did you put Ebony and Ivory?"

The girl's head lifted out of her syrup bliss, as she blinked with a confused look.

"Where did I what not?"

"Ebony and Ivory. my weapons I gave to you 3 days ago to put into my holsters after we got through customs? The only weapons we could carry normally without-"

"CINNY!" Nora's eyes went wide with shock, as Hisode palmed his face.

"Yeep, I figured... Oh gods, I've been travelling without my weapons for three days... Nora, I love you sis, but-"

"No, Cinny!"

"Hisode, what... what is that...?" Jaune's eyes were locked on the violet haired teen's face as he posed the question.

"Well, to answer what Cinereous, or Cinny as we like to call her, is exactly, she's this-"

"Oversized mechanical unicorn with a long tail, three horns, one of them being a spiral horn in the forehead, a pair of curving horns behind her ears, a pair of four-clawed feet like a dragon's in front, mechanical four-toed feet in the back, a very long tail with a drill on the end with two sword-looking prongs around the drill, and a head that looks like a cross between a dragon and a horse, with two massive saddlebags that don't impede the creature from being looking any more insanely powerful?"

Hisode blinked, looking right at the teen. "...Actually, I prefer to call her an Indra for now. But, other than that... yea, exactly. How the hell did you know that?"

"Because it's right outside the window behind you, and it's staring right at you, Nora, and Ren."

The screech of his chair flying under him caused an echo that hurt the eardrums of the students all around them, who turned to the source. They stayed looking, however, upon seeing the massive horse-like machine, who pattered its legs in place. One grey-colored eye turned to look at them, but it didn't catch the almost blur as Hisode raced outside the doors of the cafeteria. Behind him, Nora and Ren were following, with the orange haired girl's grip on the poor boy tight as a vice. The others, looking at each other, shrugged and followed suit.

Outside, with his arms wrapped around the creature's neck, Hisode's face broke into a huge grin, laughing as he pet his hand up and down strange, coal-colored mane.

"Awww, there's my little Cinny-Winny..." His laughter was joined as Nora hopped over to the side of the 8-and-a-half foot tall beast. The others, shocked into silence, could only stare at the fact that the larger-than-life beast was just being treated like some sort of pet. Around them, more students were joining them outside, shocked and amazed. However, Hisode took it in stride, laughing, as Cinereous gave a light metallic whinny, flicking her head up and shaking it side to side.

"This... is... AWESOME! How did you build the frame? What does it run off? Is it sentient or is just running off a 48-terabyte memory of reactive programming?" Ruby had rushed forward, hopping around the horse-like machine, as Nora and Ren stood back to let their brother search the saddle bags.

"It's actually hard to explain. I've only updated her, and I'm the one who programmed her with a memory and helped to improve the overall performance, and also the one who really gave her a more combat-focused system. I'd rather not get into the logistics for now, but I can say that she's powered by a combination of lightning dust, solar energy, and electricity. Took me forever to add the back up solar screens to her flank, so I had to replace her back legs from a pair of hooves to these. But it did give me a chance to change them from the old 180 Locksteppers to the MUCH better 360- AHA!"

Reaching into a pair of covered bags, his eyes sparkled with unbridled joy as he retrieved a pair of... the largest handguns most of the group had ever seen. One was colored a white with silver detailing, with the other a jet black with golden swirls. On the barrels of both guns each was a woman, though distinctly different. The white gun held a woman with a singular angel wing that reached down the barrel of the gun, dressed in a robe and looking holy. The black gun, the gold details making it easier to spot, was a woman dressed in a provoctive dress, a bat-like wing that stretched down the gun as well. Her body, unlike her twin, was bent forward, giving a "come-hither" look that gave quite the appearance. What was also impressive were the blades, as wide as one hand each, that stuck out from under the barrels. Where barrel and blade were together, the metal had been fused together, locking them together, but at the end of the barrel, the blade had a divet, as if it could extend. Immediately, those who were aware of the history of weapons (such as Ruby, who drooled a bit spotting the weapons) would recognize them as Gunblades, the first type of hybrid weapons designed in history. Not flashy, but they were reliable and extremely powerful.

"Ebony, Ivory... I missed you girls." With that, Hisode spun the guns by their trigger guards and slid them into their holsters, just below his arms. However, as he did so, an uncomfortable look came over his face. With a shrug, he slid his arms under the cloak... and suddenly, his bandaged hands were sliding into a pair of sleeves. Reaching down to the midway of his cloak, he pulled a nearly-invisible zipper across the back, catching it as half the cloak fell away. Folding the top of the cloak, he nodded and hooked a few buttons on the inside of the cloak to his pants, before dusting himself off slowly.

"Well, how do I look?"

Before anyone else could answer, Yang gave a grin, spotting the horns of the great beast one last time.

"Well, I don't know about you... but I'd say she looks a little horny."

Immediately, the entire group outside gave a groan, with Ruby palming her face. She almost spoke up to give Yang an earful... when a laugh broke through the crowd. Leaning one hand on his hip, the violet haired gunslinger grinned.

"Well, now, hold on... Don't go... DRAGON my pet's name through the mud!"

Ruby's eyes went wide with shock, before Nora laughed as well. Ren, Jaune, and the others palmed their faces at the equally terrible pun... but none looked as amazed as Yang did.

"Yang, no!"

"Ooh, someone's got jokes? Well, mister, I hope you're not just trying to be hot for trot!"

"I can fully assure you, I'm not just horsing around!"

"There's no way to beat me in the pun war, I'm known for being... violet!"

"I welcome all challengers. I never... pur-pull my punches!"

"PLEASE, GODS, STOP THE PUNS!"

* * *

In the end, the pun war caused most of the students to leave, with those that remained including the original group, as well as a few stragglers. Unfortunately, it also brought the attention of Glynda Goodwitch, who'd taken both Yang and Hisode to the headmaster to talk. It had never gotten to the physical punching, and in fact, both were laughing as they walked. It had made the young red reaper smile, to see her sister actually meet a guy who wasn't just staring at her chest.

As she laid her body on the sleeping bag, her thoughts turned to the people she'd met so far. She thought of Osirius, a gentle giant of a teen who's arms, while mechanical, were the only cold part of himself. She thought about Jaune, how they'd begun to talk about comics and favorite games and even whether X-Ray or Vav was the funnier of the two superheroes. While they disagreed, it felt nice to talk to him. Hisode, meanwhile, had his good and bad sides, which had come to light when he'd started his Pun War with Yang. On the other hand, he seemed nice enough, even if he kept calling out Kamohoa's language.

Then her mind drifted to the bandaged teen himself. Laying on her back, she found her thoughts drifting to how he'd seemed so embarrassed, and yet shocked by when she'd offered to help him stand back up. He'd seemed almost... shocked by her kindness. What was his past like, to make him so surprised by just helping him? Why did he cover his whole face in bandages? Did he do it as a disguise? Was it just a fashion he'd chosen? Questions drifted into her mind about him, and not a single one of them made any sense to her. Maybe-

"Alright, who's the soon-to-be sorry son of a bitch who stole my gauze?!" The voice of the teen as he tore open the door echoed into the large ballroom, causing most of the students to drop their voices in shock. What kept them in shock was what they SAW:

Without the bandages, it was easier to see that, indeed, he was a Faunus, due to the small gray fins that hung off of his arms. However, the more glaringly obvious trait to note would involve what WASN'T a trait. One eye was tightly shut, a ragged, faded scar over the lid explaining that the eye had gone missing. His face was covered in horrible scars, burns, with one in particular burn reaching across half his neck, and even splashed over one of his pecs. Dents, as if skin had just been scooped out, could be seen over his left shoulder and right ab. As he turned to give a glare at the now-horrified "prankster", his back exposed massive whip scars, as well as another burn, but not with fire. The horrible angry red of THAT burn could only clue someone in to being a chemical burn.

"What... the hell...?"

"Whoa..."

"Gods above, I thought..."

"Damn... I thought my life was bad..."

Kamohoa's glare turned to the rest of the crowd before he scowled even deeper.

"Oh fuck you, all of you. Don't give me that pity piss. Shit happens." And with that reason, he spun around and marched off to the shower room once more, growling and grumbling to himself as he walked. It was only as he walked back that anyone even noticed that he'd strode himself out in nothing but a towel, but no one felt the need, or desire, to comment after seeing... those.

Ruby sat there in shock, blinking as she looked at the space where he'd been standing for only a brief moment. She tried to comprehend... what exactly had he gone through!? He looked as if he'd been subjected to not just punishments, but full, true hatred. Yes, the Faunus were hated, but that... that was borderline horror. The missing skin looked so bad in places, it looked like he was missing MUSCLE tissue, in fact.

"Good gods above... No wonder he's got such a mouth... I suddenly feel so much worse for wanting to hit him for speaking like that," her voice muttered, as Yang collapsed onto the sleeping bag next to Ruby. The reaper could only nod dumbly, looking down at her letter. She'd been so caught up in talking about how awesome it was, and now she suddenly felt guilty for taking so much pleasure in things like it.

"Hey Ruby, Yang."

The two girls glanced over and spotted the approach of Nora, Ren, and a now-armless Osirius. Dressed in a pair of thermal underpants, oversized shorts, and a tank top, it did nothing to hide the curve of the muscles under the fabric, but they did find their eyes immediately dart over to his shoulders. The oversized teen laughed a bit, slowly climbing into a sleeping bag, while the others took up spots around them.

"Don't worry, I'm not missing them. I just put them away so i could sleep. It's hard to when you have giant metal claws for arms, and I'd prefer to not injure anyone should I toss or turn in the middle of the night. Call it a safety measure," he spoke, his long green hair tail having rested around his head as the big lunk closed his eyes. "That said, please note my hair before you all lie down. I'd rather not have a broken neck when I rise, and I'd hate to trouble anyone with my stumbles."

"I can agree to that, for sure," came another voice, as Jaune Arc walked out of the shadows. Immediately, the girls gave giggles and laughs, spotting the boy dressed in a baby blue onesie, which he only took with a roll of his eyes before settling into a sleeping bag. Around them, more and more of the students began to settle in, conversation floating off into less of a whisper. However, Ruby noticed that there was one missing from their number.

"Hey Yang, where's Hisode? I thought you two were to go to the headmaster's office."

"Hmm? Oh, they wanted to talk about that weird Mecha horse of his... They dragged me along cuz they thought we were having an argument, but he stuck up for me. He's pretty nice. Kinda cute, in a really adorkable way. Kind of like you sis," was the response, with the blonde brushing her hair slowly a few more times. Ruby shot her sister a glare, though the yawn she gave did not help in that regard.

"He probably wanted to wait for everyone to finish showering first. Hide's... not comfortable around other people when he bathes. It's a long story, and... um... hoo, boy, I'm sleepy, Ren, how about you? Why don't we get some sleep before morning?" Nora's eyes rapidly closed shut as she collapsed into her bag, giving a very fake snore and "nom-nom-nom" sound as she did so. Ren only offered a smile at the girls, before laying down beside her and closing his eyes.

"I can assure you, he's alright."

However, as the last of the students shuffled over to their sleeping bags, tucking themselves in for a night of rest, Ruby could only turn to one side and give a sigh, her thoughts dwelling on not just Hisode, but on Kamohoa. Whatever he'd experienced, whatever had given him such horrible wounds... he looked like he needed a real friend. She might have been awkward or weird, and the crabby girl, Weiss, might have caused him to get angry... but he didn't seem that bad.

In fact, if she had to admit it... she thought he looked lonely.

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Yang Xiao-Long was quick to hide her surprise behind an easy smile, a laugh, and her amazing puns. She loved to always loved to make jokes, to point out small embarrassing moments, and generally keep up her carefree attitude. The world was way too exciting to just keep yourself locked up in an emotional well of negativity. She'd much laugh and kick as much butt as she could. Of course, if someone threatened her little sister, she would knock their heads off with a single blast with Ember Celica. That's just how it went, being an older sister.

It was more than a little shocking, however, to see that Ruby was watching the bandaged back of one Kamohoa Yale. He'd taken out a sky-blue bandanna from a bag, wrapping it around his neck, but other than that, he wore a very similar outfit to the one he'd worn last time. He hadn't even seemed to pick up on the fact he was being watched, nor had Ruby noticed that she was gripping her beloved Cresent Rose tighter than before.

"So... my little sister has a crush?"

"WHAT!?" Ruby's eyes flew wide as she spun around, looking at Yang in shock. "No! No, I'm just thinking how to approach him! Last night he seemed moody, and we haven't spoken at all since dinner last night, so I'm just-... Yang, why are you smiling at me like that?"

Yang's eyes sparkled, her face threatening to split open from the grin that spread over her face. Ruby's face had gone from embarrassment to worry, and then she was puzzled. But as she looked the buxom brawler in the face, she seemed to finally register what the girl had in mind. And as she did so, her eyes went wide once more, as she shook her head.

"Yang, no! Please, don't try this, I'm begging you as your sister!"

"Don't worry, sis... I won't do anything... especially not for my sister's-"

"He's not! Don't you say it, I'm warning you!"

"Awww, look how defensive you are! I'm just saying that-"

"No! Zip it! Nuh-uh! I do not!Nope!" With that, she ran from the locker room, hands over her ears, as Yang laughed. She was tempted to go chasing after her sister, but as she went to go after the poor crimson speedster, she noticed Hisode at his locker. With a smirk, she stalked over to him, hearing him mutter.

"...probably should bring the speed-loaders. Can't have the Grimm getting to me, or my partner, whoever that's gonna be. Gods only know who that'll be. Maybe I'll get lucky and I can keep Cinny with me as my partner... Wait, how much Lightning does she have left? I might have to go to-"

Suddenly, Yang's arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a headlock as she grinned and ruffled his head. Immediately, he gave a gasp and began to pat against Yang's shoulder, which only caused her to start laughing.

"Someone seems to enjoy talking to themselves! What in the world has you all kinds of worked up and Hide-ing over here, by your lonesome?" She grinned, looked down at... the fact that she'd just shoved him right into her boob.

Whoops.

Letting him go, the poor teen stumbled back and had a MASSIVE red blush over his cheeks. Shuffling the half coat around his body, attempting to pull the hood over his face, Hisode looked more embarrassed than Ruby had been.

"I, uh... I kinda got used to being alone. Nora and Ren are great siblings... but living out in the wilderness, you learned really quick that there's no protection. Above all else, I just... wanted to see them safe. So I would go out and do a lot of jobs, even if they couldn't come along with. In the end, I guess that's why I'm used to talking to myself. Old habits, ya know?"

Yang, for once in a long time, didn't feel like laughing at someone's discomfort. The way he spoke was... kind of sad, like he'd seen too much already, even though he was around the same age as her. As well, he seemed a little down, but hiding it under the grin he sported over his face. She'd felt the same way, when Summer died. When the woman who'd been the most motherly and kind person she'd ever known did not come back from her hunt, she'd been utterly shattered for days. Even now, she'd have the occasional flash to those sad moments, but this... this was someone who had seen even more.

"Yeah, I kind of do. But just realize, you're not alone with just those two. You've got a lot more people in Beacon. You can keep up with my puns, at least. THAT is something awesome, and makes you a pretty cool guy. And besides, it's been Xiao-Long since I've had someone who could make good jokes."

"Hah! Well, to be fair, Nora hates it when I go into my long winded spins. In fact, I guess you could say that she found them pun-ishing. I mean, I don't mean to jump the pun, but I have most certainly released quite a few doozys in my time..." With that, he reached behind him and patted the locker, slamming it closed. "But of course, I always try to stay... Locker-ed and loaded with fresh ones!"

Yang's eyes sparkled even more as she grinned wide. They were able to look each other in the eye for all of ten seconds before he snorted, she released a sputtering breath and they bent over each other, laughing hysterically. Oh, these next four years were going to be awesome with a guy like him around. They could bounce jokes off each other, laugh at the stupidest things, and maybe they'd end up as the best of buddies! Plus, he hadn't even tried to cop a feel or make a half assed flirt with her, which was a MASSIVE improvement over how other guys had treated her.

"Right, come on, Pun-isher. We need to hit the cliffs before rumors start popping up about us. Gotta say though, today has definitely started off-"

"With a Yang!" The two of them said at the same time. Immediately, the two walked out of the locker room, laughing and holding onto each other, ignoring the looks from the other students.

* * *

Kamohoa grumbled as he plugged the last few shells into the drum of the duo he called "RockSalt". A pair of automatic shotgun/axes, the trouble with the reloading the fucking things was getting the shells into the proper place. Depth perception was not his forte, with only one eye. Already he'd collided with two other people, and while they'd been more than happy to run the opposite way, he'd already had enough of people trying to give him shit, or worse, pity.

'I hope those other two aren't gonna pull that shit. I don't need my only friend in my life being a fucking smart ass..' However, even as he thought about it, he knew that wasn't true. There was another who seemed to be nice to be nice. Not because he looked like he'd been in a fight with a chemistry set and a blender, but because that was how she was.

Ruby Rose. For intents, she was just a goofy girl with a busty sister. And yet, when that cunt, Weiss, had stepped in and started bashing her, he'd felt his blood boil. Seeing her lash out had been a nice change, to be honest, but she still pissed him off. People who were too cowardly to speak their mind always pissed him off.

Trudging past his locker, he felt a body slam into him. Immediately, he lifted his head to growl in anger... before seeing it was Jaune.

Out of all the new students, Jaune seemed to be generally nice. Maybe not a friend yet, but he definitely fit the bill as "someone to stick up for, get him to toughen up." However, seeing the stupid jackass wearing that onesie had been utterly rediculous. As such, the first thing he said was... probably not the best to hear, but it had to be said.

"Gods as my fucking witness, Jaune, we're burning that onesie tonight and I'm giving you some of my clothes for sleeping. I will not handle any potential partner of mine wearing a gods awful thing like THAT."

"Wha- but that's a gift from my family! It's warm, it's toasty, it's-!"

"It's BABY BLUE, for fuck's sake! The name of the color alone is not something a proper huntsman should wear!" His gritted teeth was not nearly as harsh as they could be, as Jaune seemed to try and stammer out a response, before the bandaged teen gave a sigh and crossed his arms. "I just don't need people picking on you for something stupid. Trust me, we've got enough shit in this fucked up world as it is. If it's a gift... I won't burn it, but you WILL send it back and then I'm definitely giving you something. Fuck knows if we left it to someone else, they'd try and force your ass into a grape smuggler."

"A what?"

"...You cannot be that fucking innocent. No, you CAN be, I actually can gods damned believe that... Right, looks like you're gonna learn quite a bit, if we end up as partners. If not, you'll still have me teaching you the nitty gritty bullshit that school won't." Kamohoa rolled his eyes, sighing as he did so. However, as he turned to look to Jaune, he spotted a redhead with a pony tail, before giving a blink.

"Now who the hell is tha- Oh fuck me running, it's the Ice Queen." Immediately, Jaune turned to where he was looking, before tilting his head.

"Well, I don't know... but I know that white haired girl, Weiss Schnee, she seems pretty chummy with her... let's go talk to her."

"What? Jaune, what the fuck are you-!? WHOA!" Suddenly, Jaune had his shoulder in a grip, pulling him behind the blonde as he stood before the two ladies. The red-head, giving a turn, smiled softly and gave a wave to them both, though instantly Kamohoa saw through it as one of those fake-ass parade waves that famous people gave.

Trouble was, he had no fucking idea who the girl was supposed to be.

"Hi there, name's Jaune Arc, looking for those who are willing to join the team of Arc and Yale. We've only got a few spots left, so, ah... which of you ladies would prefer to join us?" Jaune's smile was as wide as he could make it, trying to strike a pose that would seem "gentlemanly and manly". The trouble was, he'd tried to force Kamohoa into this crap.

"First one, stop trying to act like we're a team YET, Jaune." With that, the powder-blue haired teen slapped him upside the back of his head, causing the blonde to slightly stumble forward with a hurt expression. "Second off, there's no Gods-damned way I'm having a team with this cold hateful bitch-"

"EXCUSE ME!? You were the one who launched into that rant while I was discplining that child for-"

"SHE SNEEZED! What, is she not allowed to have a goddamn sneeze when she's got some half-crazy Ice Princess shaking dust like it's a maraca?! You were the one who caused the sneeze in the first place!"

"I am not a princess, I am an heiress! Get it right you cretin! And I was shaking it because I had it in my hand after she knocked my suitcases over!"

"Oh for fuck's sake, she tripped! Also, I don't give a shit if you're the goddamn queen of all Remnant! People like you who blame everything on someone else are pathetic as dirt!"

"I COULD HAVE BEEN BLOWN BACK TO ATLAS!"

"And your point is what?! Nothing of value would have been lost! So sit and spin, ya cold-cunt!" And with that, Kamohoa lifted his hands up, shooting both of his middle fingers right into her face before he turned, walking out of the locker room. However, he didn't get five steps before he heard the enraged screech behind him. Immediately, his brain knew what happened, as he slid between the legs of a random stranger, past a strange tube-like object, and dashed himself through the locker room doors.

"SHE'S GONE RABID! SHHHHIIIIIIITTT!"

He completely forgot about Jaune, or about the redhead with the ponytail. Nor, in fact, did he even realize when she had chosen not to run after him after his retreat from the locker room.

* * *

Weiss stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at the figure right in front of her. 7 years had passed, and yet, she could remember his neon hair, even if it'd gotten extremely long, his lime-green eyes that seemed to stare right into her soul, and most likely, the chipped tooth that had been apart of his smile for so long. Her stare was locked right into his, as Osirius Malachite stood with a massive anchor strapped to his back, an enormous chain wrapped around his torso.

Her eyes slowly drifted down to his... arms. THEY were new, that was for sure. So was his size, his build... he'd changed from his old appearance. Opening her mouth, she tried to speak, but her throat closed up, almost dry as a desert. Her studies on social etiquette were complete dust in her mind, and a fat lot of good they'd do for someone whom she'd not seen since...

"...It's, uh... it's been a long time, Weiss," Osirius said, giving a bit of a smile. Even as he did, she saw his lips open, that crooked smile still the same as ever. He looked nervous, but not as nearly much as she'd once seen him look. "I, uh... you are as lovely as ever. I do hope you've been eating we-"

"Osirius...? But... what... how are you...?" Her voice was barely recovered before she found herself speaking incomplete questions, breaking his line of speech. Immediately, a frown dipped over his face, as he glanced away.

"...I apologize, if my appearance here brings you distress. Commander Ironwood assissted in my transfer documentation to Beacon, after... training," he replied. Her eyes caught to catch on the last word, and immediately she felt a stab in her chest. Had the years wiped it away? Had the years wiped away their old friendship, because-

"But... I'm proud to see you again. You're still as beautiful as a glaciar crystal."

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving her frozen in the spot. At first, she tried to remember what had happened to make them crash together. Then she questioned why she wasn't moving, and why her cheeks were feeling so hot.

"Weiss? Are you alright?"

Pyrrha's voice broke through the spell that she'd been under for a mere moment, before she glanced toward the source and blinked.

"What? Yes, I'm... I'm quite alright. I just... I was lost in memories," she lied, as the redhead smiled and walked over, the scraggly blonde following on the opposing side of the girl. A knowing smile crept over her lips, before she nodded once. As they walked out of the locker room to join the other students, Weiss finally picked up the question she was being asked.

"So... who was he?"

Weiss could only smile a slight amount, as the final few stragglers walked toward the cliffs.

"My first ever friend. The first one who showed me what life was like, outside of the walls of my home."

* * *

**_Atlas: 8 Years Ago_**

_Weiss Schnee, in the fit of her tantrum and anger, had made a terrible, stupid judgement, on the date of her birth no less. After her father's cold response that he would not attend her singing due to business, and her mother had once more secluded herself into a room to drink herself into a stupor, Whitley mocked and stained her party dress, the one she'd planned for weeks to wear for the other nobles and their children to see, using a cheap red wine that her mother would no doubt only miss in the time it would take to gain another. When she tried to complain, he would not even hear her out, and Klein could only suggest a secondary dress. The dear man might have been caring, but she'd been too angry to even respond, screaming at him to leave. In her rage, she'd stormed out of the manor, into the freezing cold of the night... and sure enough, the gates automatically locked behind her, leaving her trapped outside their protective walls. _

_Collapsing to her knees, the girl began to feel the stress piling onto her, as she felt her tears well up and pour down her cheeks. She was a lady, and ladies were not supposed to cry, but all the same, the salty tears poured down her face and left her cheeks turning redder and redder with sadness._

"_Hey, you ok? It's pretty cold out here..."_

_The voice behind her was soft, young, almost the same age as her. Drawing herself to stand up, she was ready to demand the person leave her alone, that she didn't need some noble's child to make fun of her... when she spotted the source._

_His hair was a mess of bright green, coming down past his eyes in places that he blew away with a breath. His body was wrapped in an oversized, multi-patched fur poncho-coat, while his feet, poking out of the bottoms, were wrapped in very thick looking bandages and a pair of mismatch snowshoes. His ears were bright red from the cold, but the most noticable feature was the large, scaly tail that swung behind him, thumping the snow slightly and shooting up whenever it became too cold. _

"_W...who are you? You're a Faunus, you shouldn't be up here... I thought they couldn't ride the carts up this high," Weiss said, wiping her face as best she could with the sleeves of her too-thin coat. As she did so, she felt the cold bite deeper into the patches of wet, making her skin ache even more so with the desire for warmth. _

"_Ohhhhh, so that's why... I'm Osirius! Osirius Malachite! I came up here cuz I got bored hanging around the mines and most of the people in Mantle tend to be kind of nasty. Matron Malachite said that up here is where fancy people waste fancy food in fancy trash cans, so i came up here to try and steal some of what they waste. Matron Malachite says that wastefulness is for the foolish," he said proudly, standing wtih his arms still hidden within his poncho. The way he spoke about her was fill of something she'd never felt before... it was as if he wanted to be just like her. _

"_But... Wait, I don't understand... how did you come up here? There's only the cable cars and they wouldn't let you on them. You're too young, and you're a Faunus..." Her eyes darted, trying to spot whoever this "Matron Malachite" was._

_"Oh, I climbed."_

"_...Climbed... climbed what? There are no ladders. There's nothing except the teth-...ers..." Her eyes slowly widened as she looked at his grinning face._

"_It was kind of scary, but so cool! Like, you can see ALL of Mantle. You can even see the little people like ants! I'm really glad I didn't go faling, I might have been like a bug on a windshield!" With that, he burst into laughter, doubling over himself as he spoke. Weiss just stared in shock at the boy, no older than she was, and talking about climbing a tether._

_"But... I mean... how... what... but how..." She felt her composure utterly failing her. How did he do something so incredibly-_

_"So, why were you crying?" Suddenly, she realized the boy was right in her face, looking at her with a frown and tilted head. She jumped back and wiped her face. _

"_C...crying? I wasn't crying! You didn't see anything, i was just... Snow! I had snow in my eyes!" She knew it was a terrible lie the moment she said it, and judging by the look on his face, Osirius didn't believe her either._

_"...Snow. Right... You don't have to lie about it. I'm not gonna go making fun of you for it. Miss Eag would have my tail for lying. It's not good to lie to anyone, especially not to girls. Matron Malachite says that it's ok to cry, also. She says that, um, crying is ... is really good because it lets us remember that we're not perfect and we're not supposed to be. That if we were perfect, we'd be boring and lonely, and we'd end up crying anyway... I think. I got confused during the lesson and Thistle kept poking me in the neck with the pencil, trying to make me mad cuz she said my mom took my arms away before she ran away with my mom and dad."_

_Weiss blinked, listening to the speech, before she frowned. Hold on, took his arms...?_

_Suddenly, a gust of wind blew up, sending the poncho upward over his head. Dressed in just a pair of extremely-puffy snow pants, the boy's torso was exposed... and so were the missing arms. They looked to have been cut away at the shoulders, leaving nothing but smooth, rounded, ever so slightly tanned skin. As he used his tail to pull his poncho back down, Osirius grumbled to himself._

_"Darn wind! It almost blew me off the tether twice on the way up here. You'd think there'd be some kind of wind... guard... thing... ah well, I guess it's not terrible... So, once again: Why were you crying?" He looked at her with those big, green eyes, a smile over his face as he gave a crouch to look under her face, past her hair and into her own eyes._

"_I... It's my birthday..." Before Weiss could stop herself, she was speaking out the many faults of the day, from how her father gruffly ignored her, angrily yelling at her for being "selfish", how her mother had once again ordered a bottle of wine from a servant and locked herself in her room after wishing Weiss a happy birthday, and how her brother had been making her day even worse. As she spoke, she felt her voice cracking, as she recounted of Klein, the only one of the entire house, who would try his best for her, making her laugh when she was down... and how she'd yelled at him._

_"...Are you sorry about yelling at him?"_

_"Y...yes, I am," she replied, wiping her eyes as breathes huffed out of her lips. Before she could notice, she felt the poncho settling over her body, Osirius' tail having pulled it off of his own and put it over her, so she'd warm up. Immediately, he began to shiver and shake... but the grin never left his face._

_"T-t-then I h-h-had b-b-better g-g-get you ins-s-s-sid-d-d-e." With that, he stooped down low and pushed her onto his back. Immediately, she wrapped her arms around his neck, as he grinned back at her. It would have been better... had his teeth not chattered loud enough to echo through the area._

_It was as they climbed the wall, with him using his feet and chin, and her helping to pull them both over the wall, that Weiss started to feel less sad. She felt the feeling of weight and anger fade from her chest, disappearing as she walked the grounds after retrieving a cloak for herself and giving the poncho back to him. She felt better, talking to the strange Fa- ... to Osirius._

_She felt a lot more warm, and not just because of the beautiful fur cloak that clung to her body, but because of the strange boy who, after hearing a maid strolling close by, ducked himself behind bushes, before hopping the fence as fast as he could._

_Of course, he also said the words, but unlike with her mother, they felt much more gentle, kind, and warm._

_"Happy Birthday, Weiss!"_

* * *

**Beacon Academy, Present**

Osirius flicked his eyes away from the memory. Too much had rested within the past, and seeing Weiss... it'd brought back the beautiful times they'd had as friends. However, now his focus was toward the approaching headmaster. The new students, including Jaune, a slightly messy looking Hisode, and a chestnut haired teen in a suit of armor stood atop the metal platforms as instructed by Goodwitch.

His military training kicked in quickly, as he tapped his foot against the plate. The thud that came back to him was full of strong clues, hinting at a spring under them. It was a catapult, it seemed, set to fling them into the Emerald Forest. Indeed, it seemed as a good choice, to force apart students, but not too far that they could not come to the aid of another, should they be needed. Lifting his eyes slowly, he gave a smile, ready to-

Weiss stood right next to him, looking right at him with a small frown.

Immediately, the crushing pain in his heart over their friendship failing proved to be a darker pain than before. Fighting back the urge to grip his chest, he cleared his throat and stood facing forward, as the instructions were given clearly and consciesely. Listening to them with a concentrated frown, he immediately began to dissect each of the lines carefully, opening up to their meanings with as much focus as he could.

_'So, we are to find relics, it seems. If we're to have only one partner, but Huntsmen work in groups of four, it would seem that there's a matching pair... they could not be too large, of course. It'd be a terrible way to test teamwork for them to have to carry large gems that would weigh them down, not to mention the idea of forcing us to carry such large burdens would lower our fighting potential. Therefore, it'd be best to consider small, out-of-place objects. Now... The metal plates are marked with the symbol... the same symbol... Damn, that leaves them out as a clue... but wait, they'd each have to be a pair... but different enough. Small, different... something out of the way, but distinct enough to be noticed... Of course! Chess pieces! Different pairs if you do not count the queen and king, and yet distinct enough to be out of place! Now, he wouldn't just put them in a crowded forest... It'd be too easy to miss them. This might be a test, but it seems to be a test of combat AND of teamwork. Thus, they'd make sure to put it in a place of honor, to mark the occasion... Possibly ruins?' _

The sound of the spring boards firing filled the air, as Weiss sailed off next to him. Taking up a pose, he noticed Kamohoa's shocked face.

"HOLD UP! You mean to tell me we're supposed to find a partner TODAY!? We've had all of one fucking day to meet people, Oz, how the bloody shit sock are we supposed to know who's right for us!?"

"You might not, Mr. Yale. Though I do encourage you to try your best," the headmaster, Ozpin, said, sipping his coffee slowly.

"Oh, you son of a b-AAAAAAAHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhh...!" The springboard next to Osirius fired, missing his turn entirely. Miss Goodwitch, giving a small smile, only tapped her hand over her lips, as the headmaster turned to her.

"...Oops."

_'...Right, note to self: Don't ever anger Miss Goodwitch.'_ And with that thought, Osirius felt the spring under him fire, as he went flying into the air as fast as a bullet.

* * *

Hisode never felt so happy for his Semblance.

While others could focus on pure power, or controlling memories, he loved what his power, his true abiltiy, could give him. Grabbing hold of one branch with a hand, he felt his power kick in, allowing him to spin around the branch. Instead of slowing down, however, he felt his speed increase, as the energy around him collected into a small glow of purple. Releasing his hand at the right time on instinct, he dashed forward through the trees.

Instantly, his feet pushed against the bark, moving himself further and further into the forest with almost no effort mentally. He only had to use his instincts to travel, as long as he kept his mind on said instincts. Of course, the fact that his power allowed him to move through areas like the forest, or a city area, or any place like them. Some people practiced Parkour, to gain the feeling of freedom.

Hisode didn't need much beyond his Semblance. But as he dashed around, his eyes tracking through the woods, he frowned to himself.

"Where is she? ...Oh no, did Grimm attack her!? Damn, I need to move faster!" Pumping his built power into his legs, he pushed himself toward the ground, rolling into a slide that helped push him rapidly through the grass. Friction was nothing, nor were the rocks or the sticks that tried to impact his body. But as he slid down the path, he used his Semblance to push up into a full sprint, before hopping between the trees.

"Where is- THERE!"

Landing with a thud, he grunted, feeling the pressure of his Semblance kicking in as he felt the dulled pain start to kick into his backside. Releasing the energy, the dull pain rapidly faded away, even as he reached his hands up to cup her face.

"Hello there, my little Cinny... Don't worry about a thing. You're my partner, I promise. Now come on, we've got teammates to meet, and I'm in the mood to kick some Grimm tail. Feathers. Stinger. Whatever. Come on!" With that, he kicked up by one of the footholds, before sliding right into the saddle of his new partner.

As if in agreement, Cinereous whinnied and began to clomp forward for three steps... before they both heard an enormous roar.

"Ah... well, that's a bit of bad luck... Perhaps, ah... Oh screw it, RUN!"

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Hey Ren? How do you think Hisode is doing?" Nora's question bounced off the mind of the green-themed boy, who frowned a bit in his mind while keeping a passive face. After taking out the massive Grimm Snake, a King Taijitsu if he were correct, the girl had given him their "sloth" roll call, which he still didn't believe was real. But it didn't matter to him, Nora was still Nora, and even if he'd never say it out loud, he was glad for it. Back when the journey of the trio had begun, she clung to Ren for safety, with Hisode acting as the eldest brother. He was the one to rush out to get medicine for when they'd get sick, the one to nurse the boo-boos, and to do even more jobs than they could, whenever they needed money.

He'd become almost like a father, even if he was the same age as them, giving Nora the kind of head pats you'd see proud fathers give their daughters after a hard work day. Ren couldn't help but worry, even when he'd see Hisode return with saddlebags of books, food, and medicine, or when he'd bought them a room at an out of the way home, choosing to sleep outside. He often sat in the dark, away from them all, and yet he couldn't help but treat them like they were his flesh and blood. It was what made him so protective of Nora, and so proud whenever Ren would step up to help out.

It was just part of Hisode's good nature, and they were proud of the fact he was their brother.

"I'm sure he's doing fine, No-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH- Hi, Ren! Hi Nora! - AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Screaming his head off, the violet haired teen raced by, ducking through trees as he moved as swiftly as he could. Behind him, roaring with the power of a beast born into power and ferocity, was a Grimm with massive clawed feet, a sauropod-like head, a massive tail with a clubbed end, and short stubby arms. No name came to mind for the beast, nor did it seem to have any mind for THEM. Whatever the case it might have been, it was so focused on Hisode that it ran right past Nora and Ren.

The two stood there for several seconds, before Nora's wide eyes glanced up to Ren's. His hand slapped over his face, as he sighed.

"...Ok, he's not so fine."

* * *

"So let me get this straight, and please feel free to speak up should I half-ass this," Kamohoa said, his eyes locked onto the back of the much taller teen he'd just partnered himself to. Not the worst choice by far, but he was definitely not his first choice as someone to join. Better than the Ice Queen herself. "We're looking for a bunch old fucking ruins in the middle of a clearing, to pick up a chess piece that will be part of a gods damned pair. That pair is going to put us on a team with some other pair of poor fuckers who got launched out here by a cocksucker who drinks WAY too much goddamn coffee."

"A little vulgar, but absolutely correct, my friend. We shall soon be at the location to grab one of the relics we need, and then we shall be on our way toward training to become huntsman," came the response, as Osirius turned to look his partner in the eye, walking backward slowly as he did so.

"Great, grand... question, though? Where the fuck are we? No seriously, you've been marking up trees with those big ditch diggers you call hands ever since we landed-"

"Actually, you crashed into me and we went flying into the ground, but it wasn't a horrible landing..."

"-and now, we're surrounded by... by fucking TREES! TREES and rocks, and goddamn ROOTS!" To add emphasis to his words, the bandaged shotgunner almost tripped over one of the afformentioned roots. With a growl, he kicked the root with all the force he could, breaking it off in the middle and sending it flying right into the brush-

**CLANK!**

Immediately, both teens drew their weapons. Kamohoa held out one of the shotguns sideways, held to eye level for him to look down the sights, while the other was curled back, ready to be thrusted forward as he shot, to give a little extra oomph. Osirius, meanwhile, had slid the chain around one arm, gripping the end of the chain and anchor by the circular end. Swinging it slowly but in a controlled way, the two stared at the spot for what felt like an eternity.

"What you thinking, Boarbatusk?"

"Possible, though that sounded too metallic for mere bone. I'd recommend that-" was all Osirius got out, before the brush shook and shivered, before... the metal horse that Hisode had reunited with last night appeared, shaking its large, horned head.

"Cinereous, I believe. I admit, I was shocked to discover it would be this... creature. Still, seems quite calm, considering our fellow student is nowhere close by, that I can hear. Perhaps-"

Just then, a massive screaming roar broke through the forest, causing the two Faunus to flinch in their standing. Cinereous, or Cin, whatever it prefered, whinnied louder and seemed to snort, turning its gaze toward them both. Immediately, Osirius glanced at it and frowned... before his eyes widened in shock.

"Her master is in trouble. We should go and help Hisode now, and quickly!" With that, he bolted toward the source of the sound, his large footsteps thunking against the ground as he took off. Kamohoa, groaning with annoyance, looked at the creature.

"...What is he, the fucking Mechorse Whisperer? Ugh, fine, fine... Maybe I'll get the chance to blow some steam off. It's been too long and I'm outta practice."

* * *

If there was one thing that could annoy him, Hisode decided, it was how relentless beasts like the Grimm could be. They could charge you down like the dangerous Boarbatusk, or they could launch an attack with an entire pack, like the numerous Beowolves. They could be the snake-like King Taijutsu, who's two headed body spoke of a horrible death from both sides and from where you'd face a double onslaught of fangs and constriction, coming from two sides. But perhaps the ones that made Osirius the most annoyed, due to their ability of flight, their hatred for anything in the air but themselves, and the barrage of feathers they could unleash, were the Nevermores.

Thankfully, this was not a Nevermore, but it was still quite dangerous. At first glance, he'd given thought that it was an oversized Creep. However, the snout was too long, and it possessed a pair of shorter front legs that held four large claws. As well, he knew it wasn't a Creep when it BLINKED at him. Creeps, as far as he could recollect, had no eyes. But this one had six of them, each as big as his fist. The bony tail behind it swung side to side, knocking the trees around it as it chased him down. What's more, Creeps tended to dive underground and spring back up, moving much like large missles when they struck. This seemed to focus more on biting or slashing with the back legs.

With the use of his Semblance, Hisode slid under a pair of fallen trees, parting through a brush to glance through the sun-ladened-

He almost skidded off the face of the cliff. It was only by gripping firmly onto the edge of said cliff, in fact, that he avoided falling off entirely. Not a good way to endure the test, he was sure. But the beast kept charging, as if it had no idea. Without much thought, he kicked his feet to cling to the side of the cliff and pushed himself upward, spinning as he aimed toward the biggest of the trees. As soon as he reappeared through the brush, he saw the Grimm. And the Grimm saw him.

"HEY, MORON! YOUR BROTHER IS A FOSSIL FUEL!"

Ohh, he regretted that line. It was the worst comeback he'd ever made, and he felt the urge to slam his face into the tree. However, it still served to anger and enrage the beast, who gave a roar and rushed forward, thumping the ground with its over-sized feet. Waiting for the last second, clinging to the branch, he spun himself once on the limb and felt his Semblance push him toward one side.

Immediately, the beast gave a screech as it teetered on the ledge. It was unable to correct itself, but it still snapped its massive jaws in the air, attempting to catch him. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind, as he grinned and swung himself in the branches, building up enough speed to move like a blur. With one final push, he slammed his feet onto the creature's chest, and grinned.

"Have a nice TRIP! See ya next FALL!" And with that, he kicked the beast off the ledge, landing with a thudding crash onto the ground. The Grimm, meanwhile, gave a final, echoing roar as it soared over the edge and into the great mists below. Laying on his back, panting with effort, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm only 17 years old... and I've got someone falling for me, that should have been my pun... ah well, not like anyone heard."

"Oh no, we heard. The classics are just that good."

Hisode felt like palming his face. Slowly, carefully, his eyes opened up to look right at the source of his embarrasment. With the sun making her hair shine as brightly as it did itself, Yang stood with her hands on her waist, a huge grin on her face. Beside her was a girl with black hair, a large bow in said hair, and wearing a black and white outfit with a sword. For a moment, he just laid on the ground, looking at her. He had to consider his words carefully, because his muddled mind would most likely make him-

"Yang, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life right now."

...What? WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?!

The girl, to her credit, just stared at him, the grin dropping along with her jaw, slightly. However, she recovered much faster than he did, laughing and pulling him to his feet rather quickly.

"Aww, someone's trying to be a little flirty with me during initiation, eh? Too bad, I've already got my partner. This here's Blake Belladonna. Blake, this is Hisode Byzantine. Apparently, not only does he have puns, but he likes to flirt," she said, hefting him to his feet. He gave a nod to the girl, trying to clamp down on his mind before he said something even worse. If he did, she'd probably think he was a weirdo or s-

"Actually, I wasn't trying to flirt. Just speaking the first thing I thought in my head."

Gods only knew what Yang was thinking right now. How much of a goober did he look like right now?!

* * *

_'Xiao-Long, calm DOWN! He was just flirting with you after a stressful situation, to ease things over. He barely knows you, he's just funny and nice, that's all. SO STOP BLUSHING!'_ Yang's mind was racing 200 miles a second. She, Blake, and Hisode walked within the forest in their attempts to find either the ruins or, in Hisode's case, the large mechanical beast he cared so much about. She knew that he was just being nice, or that he wasn't actually serious, or something. But she couldn't help the fact that her cheeks kept threatening to turn pink whenever she thought about how he'd stared her right in the eyes and said those words.

Most of the time, guys who said that stuff were just focusing on trying to get into her shorts, or cop a feel, or like in Junior's case, trying to snag a kiss from her. He'd just said it without a single thought, and now he was trying to play it off as normal. It was that kind of bluntness she'd not seen before. It... it was weird! How could someone just straight up say something like that, not even think twice about it?!

Hisode had taken the lead, his arms stuffed into his pockets as he walked non-chalantly along, with Blake behind her. It did give her a chance to try and squash down the blush.. except the damn thing wouldn't just come back, but it'd rush back at her as she thought about how she'd just smushed her bust into his face, laughed at his puns, and seemed like an ACTUALLY decent guy. Not like the idiot from Patch who took her to a movie, and then his hand reached over to grope her. He'd walked away with two broken hands and a cracked jaw.

She thought about just trying to shove things away, make it less awkward, but the longer she took, the more people might assume that they were already interested in each other. They weren't, of course. Hell, they'd only met yesterday, after they'd come to the lunchroom... and he'd been caught staring at her like she... was beautiful... Oh. Ok, so maybe he had a MINOR thing for her, nothing big. It didn't mean that she liked him. Sure, he was sweet, he liked puns, he didn't try and perv on her for what she wore, he was nice enough to open the door for her as they left the locker room, and he had complimented her without a second thought...

She bit back a groan as she shook her head. This might be a little more complex. People DID NOT just start becoming interested in one another instantly. For now, they'd probably flirt and what not, but wasn't that how some of the best friends in the world were? He wasn't gonna just show up on-

"Oh, there she is! And she's found Osirius and Kamohoa!" Immediately, he picked up the pace, rushing over to press his face against the side of the... horse dragon. A horse. AND a dragon. Mechanical, sure, but still, her dad called her a Sunny Dragon, and he was riding a horse like some kind of knight in a dumb story book. She stopped walking and leaned against a tree, rubbing her face with a grumble. However, after she finished, she realized that the only one around was Blake... and the girl was staring at her with the smallest smile on her face.

"What?"

"You know you're still blushing, right?"

"What? Pfft, no I'm not! i was never blushing! You're so weird, Blakey. I'm not blushing at all! I am absolutely-" Yang could only look at her partner as she took out a small compact mirror and showed Yang's face... sporting the light pink around her cheeks and nose. "-...not blushing that badly. It's nothing! I'm just remembering... uh..."

"His words?"

"What? No! We're just friends! We met just today, why would that lead to us being interested?"

"...I never said you two were interested in each other," she replied, that smile of hers growing just that little bit more. Smug was a look that fit well on her partner's face, Yang realized, as she turned away and began to walk off, trying to ignore the new flash of warmth filling her cheeks.

* * *

"HA HAHAHAHAHAA! Yo...You said that to her!? FIRST thing you say to a girl during the test, you don't even think it through, and you say how pretty she looks?! Oh gods above, that's priceless! HAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kamohoa held his side with one hand, slamming his hand over and over against his knee. Osirius only rolled his eyes, continuing to walk between the two boys, while Hisode sat within the saddle of his horse, palming his face in anguish and, by the look of red crossing over his face, embarrassment.

"Now, now, Kamohoa, there's no need to mock him for his choice in words. I'm sure his attempt to talk to Yang was not to try and woo her. He'd just come out of a battle, emotions running high, adrenaline pumping in his brain... he most likely spoke the first words that came out of his mouth, because of the stress. Though I can't say it was the worst thing to say, I've heard many things my former comrades used to say," the tallest of the group said, gaining a hopeful and fully relaxed smile from the horse-riding teen. "But I would say it's one of the more interesting ways to show someone you fancy them."

"F...fa...fancy!? But-but-but we only just met! How can i find her attractive if I have literally just met someone? Isn't that like, I dunno, a fairy tale thing or something? Or like, really crappy cheesy movies or something?" Hisode's face went back to flashing bright red, as he scrambled for words to explain himself.

"Well, to be honest-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The trio stopped and glanced at each other. For the moment, the scream that had echoed through the forest had stopped all their communications, before Osirius frowned and glanced around.

"That sounded like a girl being attacked! It could be Weiss-"

"We could only be so fucking lucky..."

"NOT HELPING, KAMOHOA! What if it's Ruby or Gods above, Nora?!"

"KI-AH!" Immediately, Hisode's legs slammed down against the side of Cin, as the horse gave an agreeing neigh and bolted toward the sound, galloping as he clenched hold of the reigns. As fast as they could, the others began to follow behind, racing between the trees as best as they could. The trio dared not to move any less than at a full sprint, weapons being drawn as they did so. However, without warning, Hisode's steed stopped mid-gallop, as he growled in frustration.

"DAMN! I didn't have enough installed... Listen, you two, I need you to go over there. Kamohoa, I know you don't owe me any favors, and I know we haven't know each other long, but I ask this of you. And Osirius, I plead the same to you... Please, go out and save those people! I'm begging you, please!" With that, Hisode jumped off of Cin's back and bowed toward the both. Before Osirius could answer, however, Kamohoa spoke first.

"What do you think I am, an asshole? Of course I'll go help them out! No fucking way am going to miss a chance to kick some major Grimm dick in! But in return, you owe us! And I ain't talking cash... you're paying for pizza when we get our teams. I don't care if I'm on a team with two other big eaters, you're buying the pizza, AND you're buying me a bottle of Atlesian whiskey!"

The tallest of them turned in shock.

"Really? Whiskey? You're 17 years old and-"

"DEAL! I'll make it two bottles if you hurry! PLEASE!" With that plea barely escaping his lips, the sword-slinger turned around and began to dig into his bags, pulling out thick tubes of Dust from within. Meanwhile, Kamohoa grinned and nodded, glancing to his partner.

"Well, come on, big guy! We've got a job and if there's a chance for me to get drunk for doing it, I say it's one to be done!"

* * *

"INCOMING!"

Ruby screamed as she fell from the sky, trying to grasp hold of any branch that would come into reach. Below her, Yang and a girl with a bow in her hair stood, jumping and waving to her, trying to do their best to catch the girl if she were to fall close to them. However, before she would get too close, a blast of wind crashed through the forest, sending the girl flying even further off to the side by her cloak. Choking on the fabric, she was unprepared as she saw her body about to slam face first into the wood of the tree.

"I GOTCHA, LITTLE RED!" Suddenly, a light blue-themed blur streaked under her, as the sound of a bang was heard. Jumping higher than should ever have been normal, it was Kamohoa! His arms outreached to her, as she spun in the air. Unfortunately, as she spun, her body impacted with his in an unexpected way, sending both of them tumbling down into the ground hard enough to crash through several trees. Around her, the bandaged arms of the teen clung to her, holding her tightly to keep her from injury. Taking the brunt of the damage, however, left Kamohoa groaning as they rolled to a stop. Immediately, Ruby sat up and gave the teen a hug as he grunted and leaned on the side of a tree.

"Crap..." Pulling his shoulder back, he slammed it into a tree as hard as he could, as a loud POP was heard. "FUCK! Fucking... Gods-damned-fucking-bollocks-bullshit-cunting-fuck-piss-shit-jizz-pocket-buggering-asshole-fucked-bitch-cunt-OW!" His gasps drowning out more of his cursing, as the red faced reaper stared at his ragged and roughed-up form. "I really, REALLY fucking hate dislocations... Are you alright, Ruby?"

"Other than the fact she's probably heard every curse word in the world, I'd say so..." Came the response, as Osirius glanced around, giving a frown as he held a massive anchor in hand. Yang and the black-bowed girl stared at the weapon, confused, before her sister shook her head and took a step toward her. However, right before they could even speak, a yell of happiness filled the air, as an Ursa roared into the clearing... then fell over onto the ground, dead as a doornail. From behind, giving a frown, were Nora and Ren.

"Aww, it's broken..." Glancing down at the fallen bear, Ruby and the others could only stare in shock at how the girl had somehow ridden the giant bear into the clearing.

"Did that girl just ride an Ursa all the way here?" Came a monotone question from the bow-girl.

"Hisode was worried about her? Fucking hell, I thought I was tough..."

"Well, she is his sis-"

A second sound filled the air, followed after by a third: A horrific screech of rage and bloodlust, before a large Deathstalker rammed through a grouping of trees, chasing after both a familiar looking blonde, as well as a redhead with her hair pulled back in a pony tail, dressed in brown and golden armor.

"HEEEEEEEELLLLLP! SOMEONE PLEASE COME HELP US!" Jaune's high-pitched screams (which caused everyone except for Ruby to face palm and grumble) echoed as he and the redhead ran in opposing directions. The massive scorpion Grimm, clicking it's claws several times, glanced at them both... before immediately rushing toward Jaune. The result was that the poor boy screamed in terror once more, running even faster.

"Aw for... Gods damn it, Jaune! Hold on, your street-teach here to kick some ass!" With that, the powder-blue haired Faunus dashed off, drawing out a pair of automatic shotguns, firing them at the resilient shell of the beast.

"Did they run all the way here with a Deathstalker on their tails?" Bow girl questioned, arms crossed as she did so. Ruby could only blink and glance toward her... and saw as her sister finally lost her control.

"RRRAGH! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! COULD EVERYONE JUST CHILL OUT FOR 2 SECONDS BEFORE SOMETHING CRAZY HAPPENS AGAIN!?" Yang huffed and puffed, her eyes having flashed into their crimson form as she glared at everyone around her. Nora, to her credit, was just happy to dance in place, while a panting Ren raced to stand beside her. However, Blake and Ruby's gazes were drawn upward, while Osirius frowned and coughed into his hand.

"...I ah, don't suppose anyone has seen Weiss?"

"Uhh... Yang? Osirius?" With that, the reaper lifted her hand up and pointed upwards, toward the Nevermore she'd rode in on with Weiss.

The same Nevermore where Weiss was clinging to one claw weakly, screaming about how she had been abandoned. As soon as he saw it, Ruby could FEEL the air around Osirius turn to ice, as he gasped in abject horror.

"WEISS!"

"I said jump!"

"RUBY!" Osirius said, sounding quite shocked and, if she were to guess, a little peeved.

"She's gonna fall.."

"BLAKE!"

"She'll be fine.."

"She's falling..."

"Oh for the love of... HOLD ON, LADY WEISS!" With that, the hulking force of the Atlesian teen charged forward, his anchor slamed into his back as he stretched out his arms, looking up at the white-themed girl. The one with the bow, Blake, glanced down and gave a sharp intake of breath, ducking downward. Immediately, the redhead with the ponytai slammed headfirst into Ren and Nora both, slamming both of them down.

"UGH!"

"WHEE!"

"I'm so sorry!"

* * *

If there was ever a time Osirius considered himself to be overly kind, it was most assuredly not now. He'd often tried to take the path of calm, consideration, kindness. He did not swear, he did not drink, he did not even smoke. When the others of his class had chosen to drink themselves into the most horrible of headaches, he was the one to offer them support... and a bucket. He had grown up being the weakest of the group, the shortest of 200 students. He had been bullied, pushed, and tripped. It was even harder, being without arms, to fight back. But he did with his kindness. He refused to allow the worst of the bullies to push him. When the time came and he was offered a chance for experimental arms, he took the chance, and used it to bulk himself up... but not to attack. He would use his power, his brains, and his kindness to help those in need. To prove himself worthy of friendship with Weiss Schnee. Even if she hated him now.

The girl screamed as she fell toward the earth, unaware of what lay below her. Right as she reached the ground, Osirius' arms slid under her, bracing her with his own body to redistribute the energy around them to the ground, through his own body. He felt the force ram into his chest, his legs, and his tail, but he didn't a grunt, he lowered his head as he placed the girl onto her legs... only to be looking right into Weiss' blue eyes.

"O...Osirius..."

"I hope you're uninjured, my lady," he replied, giving a small smile. Just as he went to stand, Weiss' arms wrapped around his neck. The first hug they'd shared in 7 years... seven long years since they'd seen each other, her arms held by her father, while he stood behind a military police guard. She stood for a moment, just hugging him, as he reached a hand up to pat her back.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I-"

"WEISS! OSIRIUS! RUN! IT'S COMING AFTER YOU TWO!"

The two broke apart from the hug, as the screeching Grimm turned toward them, clacking claws and charging toward them. Weiss lifted her rapier upward, but she'd get no further when Osirius stood to his full height, righteous fury filling his entire being as his tail slammed down behind him, off to the side of Weiss.

"Osirius, run! It'll crush you! RUN!"

"WEISS! OSIRIUS!"

"I made a vow... to protect you, Lady Schnee! I will NOT run, not now, nor ever! MY NAME IS OSIRIUS SPALTUNG MALACHITE, AND I SHALL NEVER BREAK MY VOW NOR SEE YOU WEEP AGAIN!" Osirius held out one of his arms, feeling the energy within him welling to a full burst, before his aura flared an emerald green. Out of the burst, a large figure rose behind him. With a metallic helmet styled after a dragon, dressed in green-colored knight armor, and with a massive flowing cape that swayed as if it were the wind, it cut an impressive figure, even larger than he had. He knew, of course, the one thing that would draw eyes would be the massive one within the chest piece of the armor, which stared down at the Grimm with as much anger as he himself felt. Attached to each arm, a blade hung, with three short ends aiming back and side to side, and the blade aiming toward the fingers the longest, easily as long as the figure's own arms.

"This is my Semblance: Army Of One! Now stand, Grimm, and face your end!" His voice grew stronger, his eyes narrowing down at the creature. Screeching, it reared its tail back to strike, but one slash of the armblade slammed the attack backward. Immediately, Osirius felt the recoil in his chest. The trouble with Army of One, sadly, was that any force the figure felt, he would as well. However, taking the pain into consideration, he began to try and plan around the creature, blocking the various strikes of claws or stinger with his own blades. Each time, however, more and more of the recoil thundered into his chest, striking back into bones. As strong as he was, he could take the punishment... but if he went too far, it would most likely cause his heart to sieze again, and he'd suffer another attack.

Suddenly, a gunshot fired out, striking one of the creature's eyes. Screaming in agony from the shot, the Deathstalker turned to the side, swinging out the large stinger tail and crashing into both Osirius and Weiss. The figure immediately popped into green smoke, leaving the duo to crash into a tree. However, Weiss' body landed firmly into Osirius', protected from the impact by his body. Her eyes looked up to him, as she frowned.

"You... you big idiot! Don't you go trying to defend me like... like some sort of last stand! I don't need to lose a friend because they were so dumb! You big dumb lunkhead!" Immediately, she poked her finger into his chest, trying to give her best glare... only to cause Osirius to smile and give a laugh. "And stop laughing! We're in the middle of fighting for our lives! Now I have to go and save my part-"

"RUBY!" Yang's horrified cry filled the air, as the two of them glanced over toward where the red reaper had run off to... and were shocked to see her pinned down by the Nevermore's feather. The blonde brawler had taken off toward her, but a second volley slammed down, with one of the arrow-sharp feathers even slamming into her ankle and causing her to cry out in pain.

"YANG!"

Ruby tugged and pulled against the feather, trying her best to avoid tearing the hood she'd worn for years. She didn't dare to let it rip, but she had to break free, especially when the attention of the Deathstalker turned completely to her. Its rage and hatred for life seemed to direct it toward whatever seemed like the closest, easiest target. As she was pinned, SHE became the target. Around her, she heard as Jaune called out for Nora and Ren to rush in to aid her, but they were too far away. Not even as Pyrrha, who'd been smacked away, could do anything to help. Yang was staring with horrified, scared eyes, as Weiss and Osirius tried to stand up against the tree.

_'Am... am I going to die?'_ Ruby's heart seized in her chest, as she gulped back the fear that rose in her throat. She didn't want to. She wanted to protect people, be like her mom and dad. She pulled harder, trying to force the feather that bit into the ground. The Deathstalker's thundering feet stopped just to her side, as she turned and gave a squeak of terror. The massive Grimm's tail slammed forward, racing to impact with her body and stab her t-

"THE FUCK YOU WILL!" No sooner had he spoken than Kamohoa's body was beside her, an absolutely enraged look on his face as he reared his... his fist. His fist was covered in what looked like glowing sigils, shimmering the brightest blue she'd ever seen. They were even more light in color than his hair was, as he punched into the creature's stinger, right over the bulb, just a mere inch from her chest. She didn't expect it to stop... and she especially didn't expect the enormous screeching wail that came from the Grimm as it was thrown backward, as if by some powerful force. His angered face darkened even more, as he dashed forward, with both arms now glowing the sigils as he raced.

"THAT'S! MY! FRIEND! YOU! GODS! DAMNED! BAST! ARD!" Every punctiation was ended with a thunderously loud crash of a fist slamming into the creature's face. Every fist that slammed forced the beast backward even more, its taloned feet digging into the ground only causing it to drag small ditches into the ground. The final strike came after his words, and just from the sheer cracking sound, he'd broken through the monster's bony facemask... but then he ran backward, holding his hand and wincing.

"FUCK! MY HAND! I BROKE MY FUCKING HAND!"

Ruby, still trapped by the feather, watched as the Deathstalker seemed, for the first time, utterly baffled. The head-drum Kamohoa had just smashed into it had done something, as it seemed to stumble around like Uncle Qrow did after he came home from a bar after he'd had a sleepover with a girl "as hot as a summer day with a skirt that was definitely NOT her size." How had he just- And then it hit her: Those sigils... those were his Semblance! Somehow, he either increased his power by them, or he had... no, that wouldn't explain how he'd caught her so high up. Did he have an ability to push the ground? Or... or was it to Propel himself? Was that his power? That he'd just kept propelling himself against a surface, or on a foe, and forced them back, as well as doing serious damage?

She only realized that he'd come over to her side when he took out one of his Shotguns, flipping the barrel and releasing a large axe blade. With a swift chop, he cut the shaft of the feather away, holding his broken hand behind him as he put his weapon away, and held his hand to her.

"You alright, Little Red?"

"Seems like we're reversed now... You're helping me stand up this time," she giggled, taking his hand in hers as they stood up. And for once, a smile came over Kamohoa's face. A slight one, but what little she saw, it was warm... even if he quickly hid it with a fake cough and glance away.

"Anyway, we should get your sister and find out a way to get the hell out of here. That big ass turkey is gonna fly over us again, and whatever it drops, shit or feathers, I don't think we need to-"

CRRRUUUNCH! The sound of trees being crushed under a massive weight filled the air, off near where the others had been standing. Had, being the key word. The others, hearing the sound, booked it over the open field to stand with Ruby, or to try and rush over to help a struggling Yang. But when they saw the head poke out of the wooden forest, Jaune's scream was not the only one.

It was long, serpentine, but unlike a King Jupiter's head, this one didn't have an arrow-like shape to the head. Instead, it just formed into a rounded point, with several rows of eyes that glanced around it. Soon, a second one joined, then a third. Soon, seven of the creatures were sliding out. No mouths, as strange as it was, just their long heads, multiple eyes, and a thin, pointed nose. However, when one of them glanced down toward Yang, Blake, and the approaching Ruby and Kamohoa, all of them seemed to narrow their eyes into hateful, orange-red orbs. And that's when they saw their mouths... the horrible, tearing sound as their lips seemed to appear from where the nose was, ripping down far past the eyes and almost down their necks, almost dipping into the trees. And that's when the entire group realized: it wasn't a group of Grimm. It was one. The beast's body stumbled out of the woods, six clawed feet thumping on the ground, each one with five razor sharp claws. And as it lifted one head up, it seemed to give the more horrible, horrendous scream. It was as if someone had taken nails to a chalkboard, thrown in the sound of nail files inside of a blender, and finally magnified the sound by a thousand. It was so bad, Ruby could almost TASTE the blood in her mouth.

And then, it stepped toward Yang again. And this time, all of its eyes, all of them on every head, focused on her.

"YANG, RUN! YANG! YAAAANG!"

Ruby's voice never sounded so far away before. The blonde buxom brawler was horrified beyond description of this... THING. It's eyes seemed to ignite some kind of fear inside of Yang. She could see every fear in her life. Not just the fears she'd had recently, but EVERY fear. It was like the creature was forcing her to relive everything. She saw the time she'd snuck out of the house with Ruby and the Beowolves. She saw a thousand spiders that creeped over her body. She felt their legs crawling up and down her body, under her clothes, trying to dig into her mouth. She felt the slithering coils of snakes that slipped into her boots, even past the newly formed wound on her ankle. She felt every horrible, nasty fear ignite into her mind, and she wanted to curl up and cry like a child.

"...S...some...someone..." She tried to speak. Her voice was so weak with fear, she couldn't even speak properly. She couldn't call for help, she couldn't give one of her puns, she couldn't even tell Ruby to run, to live. She couldn't say anything more, except for one... single... word.

"...Help..."

**BLAM!**

The gunshot tore through one of the eyes, breaking the spell immediately. Everything stopped: The spiders, the snakes, the memories... they all vanished. The feather slammed in her boot was gone, but she couldn't walk. And yet, who'd fired the shot? She glanced back to the group, to Ruby, but they were too lost in something ahead of Yang. Her head turned around... and her jaw dropped, as she saw her savior, and dear Gods did that feel weird to say, race up toward her.

Hisode Byzantine sat atop the saddle, his body bent forward as he ushered the mechanical horse, Cinereous, forward. The largest of its horns was sparkling, crackling, turning to a color of yellow as something built up within it. It's tail, meanwhile, swung side to side, ready to batter away any strikes the great beast would attempt. But more than anything, sliding his gun back under his coat, Hisode swung himself to one side, catching his foot against one of the stirrups, and pulled her to his chest.

"I've got you now. Hold on to me." Holy crap, when did he sound so much more manly?! Or was that just because he was currently in the middle of saving her from what felt like the most horrific nightmare she'd ever felt? She didn't care, swinging her arms around his neck, as he pulled them both atop Cin, and she felt herself being set within his lap. However, his gaze turned rapidly from her, toward the great beast, which glared back with as much anger. And then he spoke again, and this time... this time, his voice shook with unbridled rage.

"Cowardly trick, you gutless runt. I'll show you the true meaning... of a nightmare!"

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Hisode swung his hand back into his jacket, withdrawing Ivory from her holster. The blade whined slightly as he withdrew it, even as his eyes glared daggers at the Gorgondra. He'd heard so much about such creatures, but they were rare, oftentimes said to be mythical legends, but here it was, with one eye bleeding black blood down one of the many white necks that formed its face. A tiger-like growl echoed from one of the heads, as he tightened his grip to Yang, pulling her closer. For some reason, seeing her in danger had pushed all the fear out of his mind. He could feel the Grimm trying to push his fears forward, but every time it did, the anger and fury in his mind would only grow instead. It had trapped her, forced her to experience... whatever she'd seen and felt. Something in the idea of that alone drove a cold blade through his heart, turning his blood into a frozen fire.

As he thought about it, his eyes flicked down to Yang. Her face was still pale, her breaths came out less in short panicked gasps and more normally, but she still looked on the verge of a panic attack. Seeing her so... afraid was something he'd not expected to hate so much, even as the knot in his stomach wound tighter. As his eyes darted her, he pulled his hand off the reigns and gave her a hug on the waist. She tightened against him, before she blinked and looked at him.

"It's alright now... I'll keep you safe. It's a promise," he said calmly, trying to hold down the enormous amount of venom that seeped into his brain as she darted her eyes all over his face. She seemed to be trying to understand if he was real, and to be honest... he couldn't understand it either. But she needed protecting, and he'd be damned to let her suffer.

"Hisode, what do you need us to do?" On his left side, Kamohoa had wrapped up one of his hands in more gauze, wincing with pain as he did so. On his right, speaking calmly, was Osirius, the anchor in his arm folding both of the arms back and creating a large hole opening in the middle. Soon, he stood with what looked almost like a cannon held tightly by a massive iron stock, a trigger right near one of his curved claws. "Judging by your abilities, I'd say you have a fair amount of experience with this thing... Whatever it is..."

"It's a Gorgondra. They're mainly located in either deserts or places with a heavy amount of snowfall. Judging by the fact it's more colored white, it's a Snow Gorgondra. How it got to the Emerald Forest is beyond me... Either case, they try to bury themselves under loose sand or snow, as I said. They have to, to keep their singular bodies safe. The armoring around the chest is weak, specifically if they struck in either the center of the chest by enough concussive force, or if..." Suddenly, an idea came to him. It was dangerous. Extremely dangerous, and if it failed, he was dead. There was no two ways about it, this would be the dumbest, worst idea he'd ever had... and even worse, he knew it'd be the more successful (technicially speaking) of the two options, since if Plan A didn't work, they'd just have to try Plan B anyway.

Osirius's eyes glanced toward him, then to Yang.

"Is she alright?"

"Yea, I'm fine... I just... what in the name of gods did it do to me?" Yang finally spoke, looking at them, confused. Kamohoa tilted a brow, glancing at them both with a shrug of his shoulders. However, Hisode once again provided the answer:

"It tried to paralyze you. It's not completely understood how, but they've been shown to possess a unique, horrific ability to hypnotize someone with their own eyes. It causes the brain to produce fear chemicals, make you experience the most vivid illusions. You'll see your worst fears, your worst nightmares, everything. Anything you've ever feared, or any situation where you've been afraid, you'll feel it play in your mind with the highest amount of fear you felt. If it didn't eat you, you'd suffer cardiac arrest and most likely die from that. Currently, it's trying to find out which of us to paralyze, but it's been trying to for me..."

"Why doesn't it work on you then? You're not-"

"Because it tried to hurt you," he said firmly, his frown deepening as the image of how she'd looked flashed before his eyes. He felt Yang's grip on his neck tighten, as he gave a glare at the beast. "...Can you walk? I don't know how much longer we have before it makes a move, but..."

Yang wiggled her foot, thankful that her Aura was working to heal up the damage.

"It's my fault, I should have seen the Nevermore. I'll be able to walk. Go kick that thing's ass. We'll lead the Never-" as she spoke, a screech filled the air, as a dented and stumbling Deathstalker walked out of the woods. "...Nevermore AND the Deathstalker out of here. Just do me a favor, and don't die. I got a favor I owe you." With that, she slid down off of Cin, looking at Hisode's face. Though he tried to remain stone faced, he glanced at her and felt his smile cross over his lips.

"As you wish, Yang." With that, she gave a small smile, punching his leg and heading over to stand with Ruby, Jaune, and the others. As she did so, Kamohoa moved upward.

"Right... So we're fighting a big fucking monster that is probably going through heatstroke... I don't know about you, but I feel pretty fuckin lucky right now, even with a broken hand. So, what's the plan, Hide? We're gonna chop it's fucking head off, see how that works?" He went to crack his knuckles, before stopping and glancing at his gauzed hand, before lowering it back down. "Shit... my Aura needs more time to heal my hand... I'm down to one RockSalt for now."

"Broken hand... I suppose that only leaves us with Plan B then. If it fails... Osirius, Kamohoa... I leave Nora and Ren in your hands, and in the hooves of Cin. Take care of them, all of you," he said, slipping off Cin. As he glanced toward the groups that dashed away, the Nevermore took notice of their retreat and spead off after them, the Deathstalker not seeming to notice the smaller group nearly out of sight.

"Plan B? What the fuck do you mean Plan B? Wait, hold on a gods-damned minute here!"

Hisode jumped off of Cinereous with a glare, before pulling out Ebony from the other holster. His eyes narrowed angrily as he began to march toward the massive Grimm. At nearly two and a half stories tall, with many heads that wiggled and fought for control over the loss of one eye, Hisode knew that if any of them heard this plan beforehand, they'd call him insane.

"Osirius! Once the plan begins, I want you to start attacking the center of it's chest with your cannon! And what ever you do? DO NOT STOP FIRING UNTIL THERE'S A CRACK! I will need an escape route!"

If Hisode turned his head to one side, he'd have seen as some of the group heard him. The one who was the closest to the action, and the slowest of them, Ren, was confused as he looked back... right in time to see his best friend, his brother, lift his arms and start waving.

"HEY! You ugly mother! You heard me! Are you deaf as well as stupid! What's wrong, can't find a spot nice and comfy to bury yourself? Or just too fat and lazy to do it? You are the worst Grimm I've ever met, and absolutely pathetic too!" The beast, cocking its heads, seemed to growl louder, a snarl that demanded blood and death. "Oh, quit trying to hock a loogie. You're nothing but a whiny coward of a chump! You want a piece of me?!"

And then, came the crux of the plan. The words that came out of his mouth that would damn him to the plan entirely. The words that echoed... a little too loudly, just loudly enough for Ren and Jaune to hear.

"EAT ME!"

Kamohoa's jaw could almost be heard dropping, as he called out to him. Hisode ignored his cries, staring right back at the beast.

"YOU HEARD ME! EAT ME! OR ARE YOU TOO DUMB TO LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE GIVES YOU A FREE-!"

**CHOMP!**

* * *

"HOLY MOTHER OF ALL REMNANT! HISODE!" Jaune's eyes went wide with shock, as he turned back around on hearing those words. Ruby, Yang, and the others turned in shock... right as they saw Hisode jumping and waving his arms, while Osirius and Kamohoa dashed toward the beast... right before one of the massive heads lunged down and swallowed him whole. The group went ice cold, staring with shock as the beast tilted its head back, as if to swallow him whole. The first to react was Ruby, who screamed in absolute rage as she dashed forward.

"NO! NO NO NO NO! HIDE! HIDE!" She dashed forward, her scythe extended behind her. She was joined by an absolutely ENRAGED Nora, her face twisted into the first truly hateful look she'd possibly had in her life. As they rushed forward, Pyrrha saw the large Deathstalker giving a wobbly charging toward them.

"Jaune! The Deathstalker is-"

"Pyrrha, shield! Nora, can you crack it like-"

"YOU BASTARDS TOOK MY BROTHER!" She almost crushed Pyrrha right before the girl ducked under her shield, before the explosion of her hammer rocketed her upward. She barely got high enough, as the Nevermore tried to clamp down on her hammer. The moment it got close, however, she swung the massive steel crusher down, crashing against the bird's skull. In the span of 2 seconds, the bird screeched and went screaming down, shoving it's own beak through the Deathstalker's head. As she landed on the ground, they could see the tears streaking down the Valkyrie's eyes, as she ran past the two beasts. Jaune, Ren, and Pyrrha soon joined in pursuit, with Jaune giving a slight gulp as he looked at the damage.

_'Oh gods... what the hell is wrong with Hisode!? Why did he... he better be alive! Or Nora might go crazy with anger..!'_

* * *

Ruby felt like she'd just just had her stomach drop out from under her. A new friend, one of her first friends, had just been swallowed whole, was possibly DEAD, because of a Grimm. Her mother's smiling face... Summer's face flashed before her, just that beautiful smile... and then it was gone. And then Hisode's own smiling face, and it too faded away. He'd been one of her first friends, and he'd just died to protect all of them... because she wasn't strong enough. STILL wasn't strong enough, even after all this time.

"No... Not again... NOT AGAIN!" She fought back against the tears, as Weiss stepped beside her, holding the girl's shoulder. Her hands gripped her shoulders, trying to stop the shaking, weeping girl's crying, before they both heard a screech. Glancing up, they saw the Nevermore kicking and bucking its clawed talons into the air, flapping its wings against the ground as it struggled to free itself from the slowly disappearing remains of the Deathstalker. Ruby, feeling her anger flash once more, reared her scythe back and charged toward the creature's neck, as it began to pull f-

Blake's whip wrapped around the neck of the beast, pulling it back down in range. As she did so, Yang was beside her, eyes hidden by her hair as she yanked the beast back to the ground with enormous force. And then, Weiss plunged her sword downward, a glyph forming under her, then the Nevermore. Suddenly, ice formed over the creature's wings, talons, and beak, trapping it in place. Ruby raced forward and swung her scythe through the beast's neck, feeling it tense before decapitating it in one swift, single move. And yet, as she did so, no relief came to her. No sense of joy, no feeling of enjoyment... just the cold pit in her stomach, growing wider.

Behind them, the sound of a cannon going off could be heard, as well as a shotgun firing a triple shot-burst repeatedly. The two were still fighting the Grimm that had taken Hisode.. and as Ruby stood, she looked at the others. A silent agreement with with them, as they dashed backward, right toward the screaming beast. Right toward the target of some well and truly pissed huntresses and huntsmen.

* * *

"THIS GUY IS A FUCKING FRUIT CAKE! I SHOULD HAVE FUCKING KNOWN! WE'RE GONNA FUCKING DIE BECAUSE THIS FUCKER'S A FUCKING FUCKED UP FUCKHEAD WHO'S GONNA GET US ALL FUCKED IN THE FUCKER! FUCK!" Kamohoa's voice was barely audible over the sound of Gunfire, as the Gorgondra darted its heads around, trying to pull itself toward the trees for cover. However, as Osirius launched cannonball after swift, powerful cannonball, he still did not see a crack, save for only the one that formed in the poor psyche of his comrade.

"Just calm down! We'll get through-"

"CALM DOWN!? HE JUST OFFERED HIS ASS TO BE EATEN! AND THAT WAS PLAN B! WHAT THE HELL WAS PLAN A?! OFFER HIM A SMORGASBOARD OF MOTHER FUCKING DYNAMITE AND HOPE HE THOUGHT IT WAS SPICY SAUSAGE!?"

"Will you settle down!? It's obvious that whatever he'd planned, it would not work, due to your hand being broken! He's asked us to break the chestplate, obviously. That wou-"

"INCOMING!" The duo dodged out of the way. At first, Cin had galloped off to the side of the exchange, as if to avoid the collateral damage. However, as time had gone on, a dull hum had filled the air as she did so. The hum was growing louder, and it was only a few seconds before that both had seen the massive mechanical beast's horn lighting even brighter than before... before it shot a massive bolt of electrical charge straight to the beast's chest. Immediately, the creature screeched in pain, stumbling back into the trees. As it did so, they spotted a crack, the smallest of cracks, forming over the breastplate.

"It's working! IT'S WORKING!" However, the excitement was short lived, when Osirius dug into his ammo pack and found no remaining cannonballs to fire. "No... no no no! Blast it all, I'm out of ammo! It's too dangerous to get close... I don't know how we can attack it now!"

"Well, don't fucking look to ME for an answer! I'm down a hand and I've got enough shells to do fuck all! What the hell do we d-"

Suddenly, a pair of explosives crashed into the chest of the beast, sending it stumbling sideways from the trajectory. The resulting crash forced the beast to swing wide, it's tail easily taking down most of the trees, just shy of the ruins. What came next, however, was a very angry orange haired devil, who's hammer swung in a wide arc before crashing into the beast's chest.

"THAT WAS FOR HISODE!" Nora screamed, her eyes almost glowing with an enraged look. Behind her, Ren fired his guns, trying to aim for the crack that slowly began to spread through the beast's armor. In time, more and more of the students appeared, with Ruby and her group bringing the rear.

"Well, holy shit, the cavalry! Now let's get that crazy mother fucker out of there before he does something else stupid!"

* * *

_'This is the most disgusting, stupidest thing I have ever done!_'

Clinging to the stomach lining of the Grimm, in complete darkness, Hisode could only swing his Gunblades together at whatever he saw. The dripping sound around him told of the potent acid that clung around, and yet, getting to the stomach had taken almost a full minute. The first was the racid, horrid smell. Rotted meat of course, but there was more. It was like rotten eggs, 200 year old rancid milk, and other scents that forced their way down his sinuses. He could feel the vomit churn up and down his throat, as he had to climb down a narrow pathway by his feet alone. Worse, his Semblance was unable to work, due to the Grimm's own body limiting his aura's use. If he didn't hurry, he would have fallen into the juices of acid, and burned into a slop of forgotten leftovers. As he clung to the wall with his fingers alone, he slashed and slashed at the inside of the beast's stomach... until, with one final slash, he felt the wall give way.

As he tipped forward into the darkness, he lunged for any form of hold point, before feeling his hands grip hold of a sturdy surface. The way he felt so warm, he guessed it to be a rib... which meant the loud pumping sound was the heart! However, what was not so good was when the beast gave a roar. If hearing it outside was bad, the inside was worse: The insides rumbled, rushing, as though they were an earthquake. The idea of ripping the creature's stomach open and, just maybe, letting its acid eat away at it had occured to him... but the fact that there were others out there, fighting on his behalf, putting themselves at risk while the acid might not had done anything, was something he could not risk.

Pulling himself up by the ribs slowly, he grunted with effort, listening as the beating grew louder and louder by the very pull of his arms. Finally, within distance, he could FEEL the air throbbing wildly. The beast was becoming angry, or it was fighting harder. Both were good examples.

"You know... I never thought that I'd become a heart breaker!" And with those words, he yelled and began his assault on the massive, throbbing organ.

* * *

Yang tried to keep her face hidden. Every emotion in her mind was frayed, and she felt cold as ice. It was the first time in her life she'd ever felt like this. When Summer had died, it'd been painful, sure... but that had come without having to see the body. Her last memory had been to see her smiling face and enjoy those warm, wonderful cookies. If she hadn't looked, her last memory of Hisode would have been his arm holding her, of him saving her life. Of him being awesome, and his smile.

Instead, it was tainted by the vision of seeing that beast's entire head slam down and swallow him whole. Instead, she'd seen him get swallowed up into the beast's massive jaws. Instead, she'd seen exactly how he'd died. And more than sadness, it enraged her. The flames of her hair burned bright as a sun, as she raged forward, punching Ember Celica as many times as she could, before punching toward the crack in the creature's chest.

Nothing. The beast didn't even flinch as it looked down at her. Except, even with all of its eyes focused on her, she didn't feel the fear this time. Maybe it came from knowing it was coming, or maybe she'd just felt too much rage for it to do anything. In either case, she just felt so angry, even as it threw one head back t-

The heads froze as one. Their eyes seemed to grow unfocused for a second, before painful screeches began to fill the air. The six claws that had done their best to support the beast now reached toward it's main body, grabbing and clawing, as it's tail thumped harder against the ground. It looked to be in some form of intense agony... before a thud was heard right near the crack. It bulged, it bent, but did not break. Immediately, Yang's eyes widened, as Osirius dashed forward, looking at the spot as well.

"He didn't... no...!" His voice was softer, but full of renewed hope. Changing the cannon back into his anchor, he rapidly began to bash the heavy weapon against the crack, which thumped in return, growing larger and larger by the second. Above them, the heads seem to grow wilder with pain, screeching even louder, before Nora dashed forward with her hammer, pounding at the crack.

Yang didn't hesitate a second longer to begin punching at the crack herself.

**Cr-cr-cr-CRAAACK!**

With a loud gasp, coughing and gagging, Hisode's head and one arm pulled free from within the crack, rapidly pushing it open. The others rushed forward, rapidly pulling his arm, while his still trapped one seemed to cling to something. With a might yell, they all pulled together, pulling the slime-and-blood coated teen free... and with him, came a heart the size of Osirius! One sword was still lodged against one of the now-ripped veins, falling to the ground with a clatter, as the Gorgondra gave a weak cry... and toppled over to the side, dead as a doornail. Immediately, it's body began to slowly fade into dust, while Hisode gagged and held his sides.

Coated in black blood, horrible smelling slime, and saliva, he looked as if he'd climbed from the bowels of hell itself. Yang just stared for a moment, her eyes flicking between red and lilac. What gave first was Hisode. Immediately, he dashed to behind a tree, and from the sound of it, he puked his entire meal. Jaune, ever the sufferer of air-sickness, walked over to help him. Nora, dropping her hammer, only stared for a moment at the heaving back of her brother.

It took them a moment to realize that despite his being eaten, falling into a GRIMM'S stomach, and currently suffering from the worst taste in the world of Grimm Blood, Hisode was alive.

Kamohoa summed their feelings up very well, as he raced over to the teen with a one armed bear hug.

"YOU COCKSUCKER! HOW IN THE NAME OF THE FUCKING HELLS DID YOU SURVIVE THAT!? YOU ARE A GODS DAMNED LUCKY SON OF A BITCH BASTARD! YOU TOOK IT'S MOTHER FUCKING HEART OUT! HOLY SHIT! YOU FUCKING CRAZY BASTARD!"

Nora, meanwhile, charged forward, full tilt, and delivered a tackle hug to him, sending the boy sprawling onto the ground.

"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME!? I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY MORE FAMILY AGAIN! IF YOU... If you..." She couldn't go on, before she broke down into tears, pouring down onto his slimy chest. His hand reached up to pat her head, as the others began to exclaim their surpise, relief, or utter shock.

All, of course, except for Yang. She just stood there, looking in shock as Jaune toweled him off, Weiss used her glyphs to cover him in ice and then melt it down, giving him the most chilling ice shower ("AHHHH!" "Oh shut up, you! You're covered in slobber and you were reckless! Be grateful I'm not using steel wool on your body!"), and Ruby began to cling to his arm, pulling him toward her.

The two just stared for a moment, as the red reaper stood next to Kamohoa, while the others watched.

"Heh... well, uh... I'm still alive, Yang! And hey, I never thought I'd be a heart breaker!" He smiled, looking at her with a nervous laugh. The others only groaned, shook their heads, or snorted at the pun. Yang, however, just looked at him.

"..."

"Um... Yang? Are you ok? I mean, I did keep my promise..." Yang just stared at him, before stepping slowly toward him. "Uh... Y...Yang, you're kind of scaring me here. Like, just a tad..." Slowly, her steps began to grow in length, as Hisode started to step back. "Ok, listen, let me just explain... I was trying to think of a good plan... but that... uh... I just..." She was closer to him now, more than half the distance they'd originally had covered. He gave a very nervous laugh as he glanced at the others, who started to move away from the duo.

"..."

"Yang, come on... M...make a pun? Share a laugh? Anything? Please don't-"

"YOU INSANE BASTARD!"

"OH GODS!" With that, he turned and ran for the woods, as Yang's eyes flared bright red and her hair caught fire. "YANG, I SAID I'M SORRY! I HAD A PLAN! IT WASN'T FOOL PROOF BUT IT WORKED! I'M STILL ALIVE AND-"

"AND WHAT IF YOU'D DIED ON THIS STUPID PLAN OF YOURS!? WHAT WOULD WE DO THEN?!"

"Uhhhh... stop chasing me and I'll answer that one when I ca-YIPE!" He barely dodged the first punch she threw at him, and was screaming in fear as she readied a second one. "YANG, I'M SORRY! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"

"HISODE BYZANTINE, YOU GET BACK HERE NOW!"

As the two ran around the clearing, the others began to snort, chuckle, before bursting into laughter. As they did so, the stress finally broke, as if the awkwardness of being around each other when they'd not even known each other, for the most part, longer than 3 days had suddenly, and happily, come to an end. However, then Kamohoa rubbed his chin and grinned.

"Hey, how long do you all think it'll take?"

"I think it'll be about 6 months. They seem really good for each other. You know, when she's not trying to kill him," Pyrrha said, crossing her arms and laughing a bit as the violet teen dodged one of the shot blasts from the angry blonde.

"Pfft. Yang's going to have a heck of a time cracking him... I think it'll be before the end of the next semester that my big brother decides to let her in." Nora grinned and laughed, as Ren only silently nodded and crossed his arms.

"I think he's gonna be the one to get HER to like him. Yang was never much for dating boys because they'd just want to go for her chest. Plus, my dad wasn't too happy with guys going for Yang and me."

"What do you guys mean?" Jaune glanced at the others, as Kamohoa wrote down the orders.

"And this is why you're my student, Jaune. Trust me, I'll have you becoming as street wise as me..."

"...I'm going to bet that she'll get him either before or during the time Vytal festival," said Ren, pulling out a pair of lien cards.

"Finally, someone speaks my language! Alright, that's 50 for "before the Vytal festival" happens."

"Oh, I bet 50 it happens before the festival ends!" Nora withdrew five cards, putting them into a hat. Kamohoa nodded, putting 10 of his own into the hat.

"I'll put down my bet as "After Vytal festival" myself. Gotta give you guys some kind of a chance."

"Ooh, me too." With that, Pyrrha dropped in the same amount, as Jaune scratched his head. Behind them, Hisode raced for a tree.

"YANG! NO!"

"YANG, **YES**!"

* * *

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing..."

"Oh holy mothers, my body is killing me..."

"Well, you know, it is your fault."

"Oh, well, thank you, Master Osirius, for your warmth and compassion. I shall remember that for when YOU make a mistake and it makes a girl want to beat you to a pulp... Gods, I think she was trying to kill me..." Hisode rubbed the bruise along his chin, as well as a particular ache under his ribs. The brawler had been so angry, she'd not stopped chasing him until he'd tripped over a branch, where she'd taken to punching him down with sizable force.

Having gotten their own relics, Ruby and the others stood with Jaune and his group, with Hisode, Kamohoa, and Osirius standing the furthest back. Yang, looking over him, caused the poor boy to give a gasp and duck behind Osirius, who only snorted and chuckled softly. At the coronation ceremony of Beacon, the students were to finally recieve their team assignments. However, all Hisode could think about was the fact that Yang, the girl he'd had a fun time with... had gotten so angry that she'd given him a beat down. Of course, upon thinking it over, he DID deserve it... He'd made a terrible plan that would have resulted in the death of himself, and possibly other people. But he'd had no other choice. What kind of a person would put themselves behind the lives of others?

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie." called the headmaster, Ozpin. The four of the students walked up the steps, as Nora waved back to Hisode, who chuckled and waved back to her. As they were instructed of their accomplishments, Kamohoa sat back and crossed his arms under his head. Hearing that Jaune Arc was the leader, he smiled.

"Well, looks like the boy's going to have some shoes to fill... I'll have to step up the Street-Lessons. I don't want my student to get crushed by some punk-asses..." The bandaged Faunus smirked still, even as Jaune walked by. The two shared a look, before they bumped their fists together. The first lesson he taught the young Arc, in fact, on their way back to Beacon.

"Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao-Long." With that, the other two snapped their attentions up, glancing over to them. Osirius gave a warm smile, watching as Weiss stood proudly, while Kamohoa glanced over toward Ruby, and Hisode turned his attention to the blonde. As they were given the name of RWBY ("Oh, yea, that's real origin- GUH!" "Shush up, Kamohoa,"), they saw as Ruby was given the position of leader. Yang, with a huge grin, jumped over and hugged her little sister, while Kamohoa gave a cheer and whoop. The two boys grinned at him, which only led to him flipping them both off.

"And finally... Hisode Byzantine, Osirius Malachite, Kamohoa Yale... and Cinereous."

The three teens glanced at each other, in utter confusion. But they'd never picked up a relic, as they'd not found any left. Slowly, as they approached the stand, a clopping sound was heard, before Hisode was nudged forward by the mechanical beast from behind. Laughing along with the crowd, he gave a soft patting on it's head as the beast stood beside him.

"You four are the only team not to find a Relic. You found partners, living or mechanical. However, when the time came for action, you sprung forward as heroes..."

The trio turned their eyes up to the screen... and each reacted differently.

Osirius, seeing himself stand tall and strong, crossed his arms behind his back and straightened himself up, a small smile playing over his lips. For as long as he could remember being Weiss' friend, he'd always wanted to appear as a strong, able-bodied warrior. As the video showed him, standing to an equal opponent, a small flare of pride built into his body. Indeed, the man on the screen was tough, standing up for his friend, and giving a hell of a fight to a Grimm.

Kamohoa only scoffed and looked away, trying to hide the fact that, very faintly, a blush formed over his face. There was no sound, but the look of anger on his face as he fought back against a DEATHSTALKER barehanded was causing a few students to cheer for him. Not even his grouch of an attitude did anything, as it was fading under the cheers and whoops of students. So he'd rushed in. That wasn't him being cool or anything, he just... didn't want to see Ruby get hurt. She was nice to him, and he was returning the favor, that was all!

And then came Hisode. His face turned bright red, as he pulled the hood over his face. It did nothing to help hide the fact he was so heated that he thought his cheeks were turning red. Some of the students were discussing what type of Grimm it was, but others were more concerned with giving him a second cheer, especially with how he... oh god, he was carrying her BRIDAL STYLE!? That did it, he felt like he was going to melt into goo.

Ozpin chuckled softly, sipping his coffee.

"Therefore, in recognition for your heroism... we grant you a position as a team of Beacon. Welcome."

However, as the man spoke, Kamohoa blinked and began to count their names out, his voice whispering softly. As he did so, his eyes darted left to right... before he glanced at Ozpin.

"You're not seriously... Ozpin, don't you dare..."

"From this day forward, you shall be recognized-"

"Ozpin, don't give us that team name!"

"Team BCKM (Blackmail), Led by... Hisode Byzantine!"

"OH GODS DAMN IT!"

* * *

Hisode, Osirius, and Kamohoa, now sporting a pair of head-slap marks on the back of his head, walked into the room they'd be sharing for the next four years with more than a little amazement. Osirius, spotting the use of four beds, quickly took hold of two of the beds and pushed them together, nodding as he looked at the bed that would most likely hold up his bulk. Hisode, meanwhile, threw his bags into a closet and cracked his jaw, before pushing the bed frame over by a window. After giving a massive yawn, the teen threw himself onto the bed with a grunt. As the last man to relax, Kamohoa set one of his bags down gently, before tossing the other to the closet and closing it up tight.

The trio looked at each other... then chuckled. Not only had they joined the Academy, but somehow, they'd all ended up on the same team. It was beyond luck, it was amazing. Kamohoa, holding his sides, began to laugh harder and pointed at Hisode, while Osirius just grinned at them both, pleased to see the group starting to relax.

"You... you're batshit fucking nuts, you know that? But gods be damned, you know how to kill Grimm. I'm actually gonna have to step my game up," he said, before digging into the bag around his feet slowly. The sound of bottles clinking could be heard, as Hisode turned to open the window right above his bed.

"Well, you're a street wise smartass, but you're also probably the coolest guy I've met. You and Osirius both. Even if you two were laughing when Yang was trying to strangle me."

"I'm sure she wasn't... but you have to admit, a plan that involves having a Grimm eat you alive is foolhardy, reckless, and could have ended very, very poorly. We're all extremely lucky you survived, you especially," Osirius responded, placing the two pillows together near the middle of the doublewide to give himself a restful spot. "...That said, however, how was it, inside of the creature? You might be one of the few people who've ever experienced that and lived."

"Well, it was dark, smelly, and I knew if I fell, I was gonna get covered in acid. My Aura wouldn't have been able to save me then, so I knew I had to cling to the walls. Not really easy when the thing had like... mucus and other slimy parts down its throat and inside that... chamber. And mind you, I couldn't see anything. There was no light at all. I barely was able to tear its stomach apart to get out, and even then I was worried that it might not even work. But the thing definitely had bone structure... There's a boner joke there somewhere, but it's too hard," he added, a grin forming on his face as both Osirius and Kamohoa groaned and shook their heads.

"Oh fuck, we're going to deal with puns, aren't we? Our leader is a gods-damned magnet for puns..." Despite the words, the powder-blue haired teen's smile never left his face. "Thank fuck I've got these..." With that, he withdrew several glass bottles, square molded and without labels, but the amber liquid inside each adn every one of them gave a heavy clue.

"I thought you were kidding about the whiskey thing. Wait, you seriously drink? You're 17!"

"And I also have enough scars to match war vets. If I'm old enough to go out killing monsters, I'm old enough to drink myself into a stupor. Besides, I ain't planning to drink it all in one night. Don't tell me either one of you have never drank before!"

"Before we get into the discussion about the alcoholic in the room-"

"HEY!"

"-I do need to go for a trip. Hopefully, Yang won't try and kill me. Again."

Kamohoa snorted and looked at the violet haired teen as he stood up, tucking a wallet into his pocket.

"Wait, seriously? Dude, I know she was pissed off, but she's not seriously angry. Hell, I think she actually likes you. You two were bursting at the seams over puns, fucking PUNS, for fuck's sake. Just cuz she was mad doesn't mean she hates you."

"And just because we laugh at each other's amazing jokes, and she does have good jokes, doesn't mean we're gonna get together. Besides, she's beautiful and probably has tons of guys who'd want her, and are way more deserving of love than me," he said, giving a smile. "Besides, I'm not exactly a catch. If you want my honest, complete opinion? I'm honestly just one big disappointment, and that's not what someone wants in a partner. I... Hmm, no, never mind. If you see the others? Tell them I went to go pick up those pizzas I owe you guys." With that, he lifted his hand to wave, but that wasn't what Osirius was focusing on. Instead, the oversized Faunus was studying the look inside of those eyes of his.

It was hard to pinpoint, but within were feelings of self-loathing hidden behind a grin, a mask that had cracks and breaks, yet was worn out of habit. Those eyes reminded him of plenty of comrades who'd seen too much, had been through a lifetime of pain, believing themselves to be damaged, pushed past the limits of their humanity. Slap a smile on, keep walking, but never let those tears flow, and never ever let anyone in. Oftentimes, they'd just power through life, until something snapped in them and they'd break into millions of pieces. They'd either try and seek out comfort from others as a last ditch cry for help... or they would destroy themselves in unhealthy ways. How many had fallen to the latter? Too many.

As Hisode took a step to the window, Osirius stood as well, ready to offer him some words, only for a knock at the door to make all three of them pause. Being the closest, he opened it and looked out.

In front of him, with huge grins on several faces and amused smiles among the others, stood the newly formed teams JNPR and RWBY.

"Hey Osirius! We came by to hang out for a while. What's everyone up to?"

The sound of bottles clacking together rapidly echoed behind him gave a clue as to what Kamohoa was doing, while Hisode remained silent.

"Well, our leader is getting ready to head out for a pizza run, and Kamohoa is... uh... well, he's currently putting away some of his... tastes," he said calmly, trying to pick his words carefully. Behind him, he could hear the accused giving a scoff as one last clink of glass told him that he'd finished.

"Uh... ok, can we come-?"

"Sure, sure! Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the living quarters of Team BCKM."

"We're not going by that name in public! Hisode, you got a better name for us? Preferably one that doesn't make us sound like a criminal organization? ...Hisode? Leader? Jackass, answer me when I- Oh Gods-damnit, he went out the window."

* * *

Yang gave a small frown. She was still slightly ticked off about how Hisode had just up and tried to get himself KILLED for a plan. However, she also knew that he was trying to fight against a beast that he'd obviously had an idea about... and that she'd reacted pretty badly, beating him up like she did. They already had one guy in bandages, there didn't need to be two. So, as she walked to the windo, she glanced over the ledge.

Gripping hold of a tree branch, swinging himself down like an acrobat, the teen looked more at peace, carefully measuring his swings to help himself jump down lower and lower. At the last branch, he released his grip and landed on the ground perfectly, before dusting himself off. Yang, however, gave a small smile as she stepped back.

"Hey, Hisode!"

She waited a second, giving him a chance to look up. Right as she jumped through the window, amid the gasps and yelps of her team, Hisode's face was glancing upward to her voice.

"What's the mat- WHOA!" Immediately, he flung his arms out and attempted to catch her. However, going as fast she was, she only ended up crashing into him in a heap. The sound of the footsteps above her, around the window, gave a clue as JNPR and the rest of RWBY peered out the window. Even Osirus and Kamohoa were watching, as she glanced up and laughed at them, while poor Hisode was pushed onto the ground with her straddling his chest.

Immediately, the others began laughing as Hisode tried to untangle them from the mess, with Yang laughing the loudest. The embarrassed, shocked red face he wore did nothing to stop their smiles, but Yang did give him a hug.

"Even if you're reckless, you're still a pretty cool fighter, Hisode. Now, Kamohoa said you're getting pizza. Well, I'm hungry myself, so we'll go together and get it. We can take Bumblebee to get there," she added, ruffling his hair as he smiled a tad.

"Oh! Bring back some peppers and mushrooms for me!"

"Bring a dessert one for me!"

"Yang, you know what I like, don't skimp out!"

"I don't mind much, just make sure it's two of them! We'll call it the Osirius Special!"

"Y'all are gonna bankrupt me!" Hisode yelled at them, but a grin was on his face, laughing a bit as he and Yang stood side by side. The others, leaning over the ledge, only laughed more in return, before Kamohoa threw a large wallet over the side.

"There, should have enough Lien in that to get everyone fed and happy. Now go on and grab our shit. And don't go fucking each other along the way!"

"K-KAMOHOA!" Immediately, the blush returned, as Yang snorted and shook her head, watching as Hisode tried stammering out both an apology and an angry rant at the now-grinning Faunus above them. She had to admit, even when he was as dorky as he was. Even with all his foolish plans... he wasn't that bad of a guy. She wasn't planning to sleep with him, but she could see them as good friends.

Plus, she'd never had a friend who was slightly attractive. Just a bit. Not even really worth mentioning. But he was. Not that she was INTERESTED in him. Just that he was nice looking, fun to talk to, friendly, not a pervert, he'd saved her life, he smelled nice, he-

...Why did she think he smelled good? She didn't take THAT big a smell when he'd been pulling her up to him, did she? No, of course not. It was just a silly mind thing.

So why was her heart beating just a tiny bit faster?

* * *

**You might have noticed that of these 5 chapters, they've only got notes near the end, with only the first chapter having an Author's note. That's because, when I started writing this story, I decided to write FIVE chapters out, before I'd even start posting it up. I hope that, for the first story in 2 years, it's a good re-introduction to people to come check me out. **

**As I say at the end, of course, leave a follow, a favorite, and constructive review! Have a good one, folks, and I'll see you all next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Good day to my friends out there in the Fanfiction worlds! I've got only got one large key note to make here, before we get to the story. Namely, this story will reach a new update schedule of one chapter every Thursday. I know, it's a bit of a delay, but I wanted to make sure that every chapter comes out as good as I can make it, for all of you, AND for myself. Have a good day, everyone!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"Dodge!"

"I am dodging, you over-sized prick! QUIT TELLING ME!"

"You are using your semblance to move to the side, you shouldn't rely so much on Propel! Rely more upon your normal dexterity, so you can save your aura from-"

"WILL YOU DROP THE FUCKING LESSON AND HIT ME!?"

Kamohoa growled with irritation, staring at the metal digits of Osirius. The two had begun training an hour ago, with Hisode sitting in the bleachers with a notebook in hand, copying his notes down from Professor Oobleck's class. The speedy teacher had become one of the most difficult people to understand, due to the fact that he would race around the class room, drinking what had to be the world's strongest cups of coffee. When it became apparent there was no way for them to get perfect notes, however, the leader of team BCKM (and how he despised to use that name for a team of huntsmen) had agreed to help them out by copying down what he'd been able to collect. In return, the two had to agree to a sparring match so they could work on each other's flaws.

Kamohoa, it turned out, used his Semblance far too much, often using it for both combat and for evasion. He didn't mind it at all, it was how he fought! Get in, kick some ass, punch a pair of balls inside out, then Propel himself backward while firing his shotguns. Don't give the enemy a chance to even hit you; while they staggered around, trying to remember what planet they were on, you were already destroying them with a few well aimed shots, or cutting them down like a big ass oak tree! Of course, it didn't really do much when his opponent could take the hits as well as Osirius did, and if he got hit, it would send him flying backward, but what was life without some risk?

Apparently, it was quite a lot, as he ate another metal-knuckle sandwich, the impact ringing both literally, and figuratively. He stumbled backward, rubbing his chin as he did so. Only 2 weeks into their time at Beacon, and already he was starting to wonder if he'd survive. The classes had been alright, with the fat professor, Port or something, quickly becoming his favorite. The man had some amazing stories, and Kamohoa could hardly stop from enjoying such tales. Sure, some of them sounded ridiculous – dealing with a bunch of Beowolves with just a shoe? Decapitating a Goliath with only 3 shots and his own ax? Those stories sounded really far-fetched – but through out the year, Kamohoa couldn't help but be fascinated by the stories.

Suddenly, Osirius dropped his fists and sighed, pulling his bandanna off and wiping his hair back.

"Right, time for a break. You've got a lot to improve on, Kamohoa. If I can take a hit from your attack, then so can some Grimm. That Deathstalker seemed to be older than normal, if those grass-growths were any indication. It was possibly about to molt, which would mean the armor was weaker, and it wouldn't have had as much strength to resist the attacks. I'll be asking Miss Goodwitch to give you more combat training with others, if we can't improve you as you are now," he added, spotting the roll of Kamohoa's eyes.

"Aw, son of a bitch! Look, I don't know what the hell you want me to do! I'm fighting like I normally do!"

"That's the problem, Kamohoa! You're putting all that effort into striking your foes as hard and as fast as you can. It works for some people, but when you're facing a foe with enough endurance? They'll just take the hit and keep on going. You need to know how to strike the foe's weak spot. You need to PLAN."

Kamohoa grumbled and huffed, walking over to one side of the stage, stepping down to sit on the ledge, as Hisode scribbled down the last of the notes.

"He's got a point, Kamohoa-"

"Oh gods damn it, Hisode, not you too."

"I'm just saying that it's right. Hell, look at me! I don't think we'd have survived if I hadn't gone for the weakpoint-"

"By jumping down a Grimm's throat to tear out its heart like you're a fucking Mountain Bandit? Dude, that wasn't smart."

"Nope, not really,"came a sweet voice, as the source of which came through one of the side hallways with a bag of cookies, her team behind her. Immediately, Kamohoa's mood shifted, growing a little more relaxed as he chugged his water down. Ruby, smiling, immediately made for him, sitting down next to him and offering one of her sweet treats. Ahead of them, her sister took a seat next to Hisode, giving a soft sigh as she did so.

"Man, Professor Peach is a nightmare... So much math, so much explanation... how do you guys handle Oobleck and Peach one after the other?" The lilac eyes darted to the three boys, as her partner, Blake Belladonna, sat down on the other side of the bench, her eyes focused on another one of her books. The powder-blue haired Faunus only dropped backward, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Honestly, if it wasn't for Hisode, I'm not sure we WOULD survive. The man is a machine about work. He's able to make notes for us so we can relax a little bit, but damned if he doesn't make sure we study them every night. Especially me!" Kamohoa kicked his feet up as he half-shouted the last part. Many times, the poor teen would be about to relax, when his leader would spring a pop quiz on them about a certain history subject or how to adjust for bullet velocity or some other weird ass subject. Most of the time, Kamohoa would either barely pass or outright fail, but he never felt ridiculed for such issues. Hisode would only sigh, then work the issues out. He took the time he could to help him understand... but Osirius was way more strict, and when HE would get quizzed, he'd easily pass them all, since he studied the notes like they were some kind of bible.

"Good day to you, Weiss... I hope you're doing very well," came the cultured, soft voice, as Kamohoa watched the white haired heiress and the towering teen bow to each other. They often acted cordial, but more often than not, he would pull away and stand in the background, as if he had some sort of realization. Still, considering that Weiss and him had had a proper talk only a few days after the surprise flight into Tree Hell, it wasn't all bad.

* * *

**Beacon hallway, 3 days after initation**

"_What's wrong with me? What's wrong with YOU?! You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've done so far is been a nuisance!"_

"_Ugh, what did I do?"  
_

"_That's just it! You've done NOTHING to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so!"_

_Kamohoa stood on the edge of the hall, watching as Ruby and Weiss continued to argue. He'd chased after Ruby when she'd gone after Weiss, the rest of his team choosing instead to stay back and talk to the others. But when he'd gotten there, he'd already had a bit of anger. His frown grew deeper and more stern as he watched Ruby's shoulders slump. Sure, she'd freaked out a bit, but those were some of the biggest Grimm she'd probably ever seen. It wasn't like you saw a DEATHSTALKER, a Grimm with the fucking word DEATH in the name, and called it a tuesday. As the heiress walked off, finishing the argument, Ruby looked down, sniffing a bit. _

"_I'll go talk to Weiss," he said, his gritted teeth making his voice a growl as he stalked past her, seeing the rapidly shrinking form of the white-colored curse on kindness. However, before he could take even a single step, he felt a hand on his shoulder._

"_Wait... Kamohoa... am I really a bad leader? Am I really a child?" Her questions were so sad, spoken in such a voice, that even his stone heart gave a crack. With a sigh, he turned to her... only for another voice to answer. _

"_Hmm, now that didn't seem to go well... did it, Mr Yale? Miss Rose?" Sipping his coffee and with his cane in one arm, Ozpin stood with a bemused smile, his eyes glancing over them past his glasses. Kamohoa, rolling his eyes, glanced at the man with crossed arms._

_"No kidding. Having the Ice C-"_

_"Mister Yale..."_

_"Mmph... Weiss... yelling at Little Red wasn't exactly team play. So she's younger. Big fu-...rry deal. She's doing her best. She ain't exactly dealing with normal Beowolves. If she was acting JUST like a kid, she'd be dead. Deader than dead, she'd be the chew toy for some Beowolf cubs or whatever. Weiss is just acting like a spoiled sow," he responded, his eyes glaring at the ever-smaller speck behind him. _

"_Hmm... and do you believe that Ruby is entirely innocent? That she's been the perfect leader?"_

"_Well... I... That is to say, uh..." For once, Kamohoa frowned, trying to answer before his eyes darted to the girl. Instead, he sighed and shook his head. "Look, I'm not part of her team. But it's not like anyone's perfect! So she's got flaws, I'm sure if she just tried to understand her, and made the effort, then Weiss-"_

"_-could see that maybe there's a reason why she's the way she is?"_

_Oh. Ooooohhhhh. _

_Kamohoa blinked and palmed his bandaged face, giving a sigh. He could almost FEEL the smirk that rolled off of Ozpin in waves. He tried to will himself backward a few moments, to find a better explanation, to find a way to subvert it... and yet, there was no way, because it made sense. Even if it did piss him off royally._

"_I'll stay here and talk with Miss Rose. Why don't you take a chance and have a chat with Miss Schnee? It might do some good toward understanding one another. In life, we rarely ever receive such chances, Mister Yale. I can see that there's some anger between you both... but such emotions are the most powerful bait to attract and lure in our true, greatest of foes. Take care not to let your own past cloud the vision of the future, my boy. And remember... Everyone walks a different path in life. Take a chance, and share the tales of where you've traveled, before you start to judge someone too harshly," the bespectacled man said with a second sip of his coffee. _

_Sighing, the Faunus nodded slowly and turned with a grimace. As he headed down the hall she'd walked off of, he spotted her taking a turn, while Ruby and Ozpin walked away behind him, heading back the way they'd come. Thoughts began to dwell within his head, as he imagined how it would play out: She would say some nasty comment, he would lose his temper, and they'd get into a screaming match that would end with either one of them stomping off, even angrier than before. But as he thought the situation out, he kept hearing the voice of the headmaster turning over and over in his mind, before he groaned softly and shook his head. _

_'This is going to be a fucking disaster...' he thought bitterly, before he started to hear voices. One was the Schnee, obviously attempting to play up her own part. The other voice, however, was Professor Port._

"_Ah, Miss Schnee! And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?"_

"_I... I enjoyed your lecture." _

_(_'Well, of course you did, you got to kill a Boarbatusk. That'd put a smile on my face for damn sure.'_)_

_"Of course you did, child! You have the blood of a true Huntress in you!"_

_Kamohoa bit back the scathing response from his mind as it bubbled, willing it back down to listen to the conversation closer. Leaning against the side of the doorway, he crossed his arm, lowering his head in thought. As she asked if he believed so, she sounded surprised. Port, after a moment to agree, seemed to notice something; a look or a frown. _

"_Something seems to be troubling you."_

"_Yes s-sir..."_

"_Dear girl! Confess to me your strife!" (Kamohoa almost gave a snort, smiling. Even when he was trying to be a supportive teacher, the man's flare for drama was always good for a laugh.)_

"_Well... I believe I should have been the leader of Team RWBY!"_

_There was a silence in the air, as Kamohoa blinked, his one exposed eyebrow lifting slowly as he turned his whole body to almost, ALMOST look out the edge. But after a moment of deliberation, he thought better of it. He was more than a little pissed off, however, thinking how Weiss was acting-_

"_That's preposterous."_

_And just like that, Kamohoa almost tripped over himself, blinking in shock. Just as much in shock, judging by the tone of her voice, was the Ice Queen._

"_Excuse me!?"_

"_I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man's never once led me astray!" ('First time for everything, Port, but I won't disagree with you here.')_

"_So you would just blindly accept his decision, even after seeing how exceptional I am?"_

_At that point, Kamohoa had to face palm. Just because someone had the SKILLS to do something, it didn't mean they were a leader. Hell, looking at Jaune, the poor bastard probably had trouble getting out of bed at times without tripping over the bed sheets! ...That was not self projection of this morning, he was sure of it. In any case, Jaune was a leader because of his ability to direct people and form plans. _

"_With all due respect, your exceptional skills on the battle field are only matched by your poor attitude." _

_(_'That's what I said! She's a bitch and a half, damn it! Why the hell am I even here? Who cares if some stuck up bitch doesn't like me? It doesn't... YES, OZPIN, THANK YOU FOR THE DAMN REMINDER! Ugh...'_)_

"_HOW DARE YOU!" _

_(_'Oh, fucking perfect, she's mouthing to a teach-...ssssshhhhit, she's exactly like I can be...'_)_

"_My point exactly. I see a girl who has spent her entire life getting exactly what she wanted."_

"_That's not even remotely true! ...Well, not entirely..."_

"_So the outcome did not fall in your favor. Do you really believe acting in such a manner would cause those in power to reconsider their decision?"_

"_..."_

_The silence she gave was an answer unto itself. Kamohoa, however, had to admit: maybe if he hadn't been such a shithead, maybe he could have eased things earlier. Instead, Ruby was upset, he was dealing with his own attitude making it harder for people to talk to him, and he was standing outside a hall, debating if he should rush in and start making things as bad as before... or if he should try to actually get to know her. And the worst part was, he was tempted to try and know her. Even if she was a bitch, he was an asshole._

"_So instead of fretting over what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be." And with those words, the Professor walked off, leaving Kamohoa to stand inside, thinking to himself, while Weiss did not seem to move from her own spot. _

_It felt like an eternity before one of them made the first move. His feet thudding on the ground, Kamohoa stepped outside and glanced at the evening sun. Neither one of them spoke for a while, their eyes turned away from each other. _

"_...You know, you're kind of rude to people when you first meet them. You're rude, you berate them for their actions... seems like the only person you even respect is Osirius," he started, arms crossed as he looked at the sky with a deep-set frown._

"_...You're not exactly any better. You're crass, you eat like a savage, you can't even be bothered to button your uniform properly. You speak like you've been around all sorts of... of rapscallions for your entire life. You don't have a shred of respect for others-"_

"_You ever wonder why I'm so bandaged up?"_

"_-Ah... what?" She blinked, staring at him. Her cold blue eyes just glanced over him, before she turned to him fully, her own frown mirroring his own. "Wait, is it because you got into a bunch of fights as a child? Or did you have a terrible time with hu-?"_

"_I was a slave in Vacuo."_

_Weiss' voice died in her throat, as she blinked. She just stared at him, blinking, her mouth moving up and down without a sound escaping once. _

"_They don't treat us kindly down there. Sure, Mistral is considered the big "black-market", but it's nothing compared to what you'll find in the desert camps. You won't find it in the cities, nor in the mines. You'll find it in the bandit camps. The people who make their living killing people. The kinds of people who take innocent kids off the streets, tear them down, sell their possessions, and then turn them into either target practice, decorations, or slaves. It's fifty-fifty to be a target. You'll either get some no-name bandit camp that can't aim for shit, or you get found by one of the big boys. Either way, you'll either die from a knife to the heart, neck, or the blood loss, and be marked as a sacrifice to some sort of Murder God... or they leave you stranded on a post, forced to lick the sweat that rolls down your face, praying the sun or the night will kill you then."_

_His hands tightened as the images flashed before him, Kamohoa slowly approaching one of the rails with a huff._

"_...If you're lucky, you're decoration. They'll just kill you with a slice to the throat, then they'll use your blood as fucking paint and use your bones to build more sand-sleds. You won't suffer long enough to see the slaves." He heard Weiss step. Forward or back, he didn't care, his eye narrowing down as he saw the flashing images. The screams of the kids, the pleading for mercy... or to get a knife in the throat. "The bandits... they just didn't care for kids. After all, who cares for another mouth to feed, when you've got people who need to eat? Cannibalism works fine anyway."_

_Weiss' gasp and footsteps backward made him snort._

"_Don't worry about it, I wasn't that unlucky. The bandits who took me? They didn't steep that low... Not saying much, but that's the truth. No... they just did this," he said, dropping the jacket and tie of his uniform on a bench, before pulling his undershirt off. After it was gone, he reached one hand up to the first gauze strap, hesitant... before he finally started unwrapping it all. _

_He could feel Weiss' shocked, horrified gasps as more and more of the ugly, horrible scars came to light. The digging ones that crossed over his chest, ones that looked like he'd had entire scoops of flesh and muscle taken away. The horrible, ragged, crooked X that crossed from his left shoulder to his right kidney, and the right side of his collarbone down toward the left hip. Turning slowly, he extended his arms and showed the fins, the remaining fins, on his arm._

"_What... what... what on Remnant...?"_

"_I am a shark Faunus, Weiss Schnee. Did you know that? Hard to tell... After all, when the bandit leader heard one of his... whatever they were, concubines, fuck toys? Whatever they were, when he heard one say how I'd look good with a piercing on the tip, he got pissed. Do you know what he did?" Slowly, he turned, his remaining eye locked into her own. The look of shock and horror on her face was... unexpected, but he waited for her to swallow and ask._

"_...W...what did he do?"_

"_...He took acid, not sure what kind, strapped me to a pair of rocks, and had the acid dripped down my fin. I felt every agonizing second, every single fucking drip going down my back. I felt it eat away at my skin for... fuck, it'd have to have been hours. I felt the pain... and I cursed him. I cursed him with every word they'd taunted me with for 3 years, Ice Queen. I called him everything, and glared back at him. I took all their hate and threw it at him, and more. He didn't like that. He took a whip and beat me. He would have killed me, would have ended the pain... but someone saved me," With that, he turned around, gathering the bandages and wrapping them back around his body. As he slid his shirt back on, he heard the Schnee speak up._

"_...Why are you telling me this?"_

_For a moment, Kamohoa considered his answer. He tapped his chin, frowning as he adjusted the jacket, his shirt over his head and pulled down to nestle against his wrapped form. Slowly, he turned back to her, sliding his jacket on with a flourish, before putting his tie back on slowly._

"_Because, Weiss Schnee, I want you to know this: I am not a person who tolerates shitheads, punks, bullies, or assholes. I had to fight and scrounge for food in a camp where I was the lowest of the totem pole. And I am on a team, at the same level as you are on your team. No, Ruby is not a perfect leader. Nor is Hisode. But you know what? I stand with my leader. He was nice to me. So was Ruby. I'll extend the olive branch... for now. Just know this: We're both aiming to become Hunters. I will keep those in my circle safe. Your team, including you, CAN be a part of the circle. So can Jaune's, and so is mine. I'll do all I damn well can to protect those people. But you have to learn that in this world, there are people so vile, so evil, they make the Grimm look tame. Don't become one of them." With that, he turned and walked past her, brushing his hair slowly as it bounced over his neck. _

"_Wait, y- Kamohoa...!" His footsteps paused, as he glanced over to look at her. She stepped before him and looked conflicted. "...I know that my upbringing does not provide me chances to be a nicer per-"_

"_I ain't asking you to be nice to me all the damn time. Hell, you're more fun when we argue. I don't need people trying to pity me, either. But for Ruby, she's 2 years younger than us. She might need help... and she's your partner. Think you can get her to be a badass?"_

_For once, Weiss looked at him with... not anger, but surprise, before a small smirk formed over her face. _

"_You're on, rapscallion."_

"_Heh. Then you'd better bring the best, Ice Queen. I won't stand for you slacking off in helping Ruby reach her full potential."_

* * *

**Beacon Training Arena, Present**

"Hmph, so I guess even you can get too tired to talk back, huh?"

Opening his eyes from his small lie down, Kamohoa stared at the source of the voice; the Ice Queen herself, smirking slightly with her arms crossed. However, despite her words, there was no venom, merely a ribbing that left him with a soft smirk over his own face. The two of them would often share barbs, but now the anger and coldness had left, instead leaving them with an almost-friendship. Lifting his head off the ground, Kamohoa brushed his hair back and yawned.

"No, I was enjoying the quiet without having to listen to you squawk at me for not doing as "ye-olde ass of Jack" commanded," he responded, the smirk still on his face. Weiss rolled her eyes, before hopping off the stage and turning to Ruby. The two girls quickly began to talk about homework, while Kamohoa stood up, picking his weapons off the floor. However, instead of Osirius standing on the stage with him, it was Hisode, giving a small smile.

"Guess you two are doing better now?"

"I have no idea what the hell you're even talking about." And yet, the ever so slight smile on his face did not leave his face very long. Not when Hisode would fake him out and strike him as he used his Propel, leaving him to crash to the floor with a strike. Not when Hisode, seeing him try to fake the other teen out this time, would kick out with a leg and get him to tumble over mid Propel. Not even when he got his ass kicked over and over, until he started to learn how to fake a Propel to duck, dip, dive, and dodge properly.

He was having too much fun, surrounded by a group of people he was beginning to consider... trustworthy.

* * *

Hisode sat upon the ledge of one of the balconies, his feet hanging down the ledge. Within one hand, he held his lighter, flicking it closed and open with a turn of his wrists. The other hand held firm one of his first cigarettes in what felt like forever and a day. They did not contain tobacco, nor any truly heinous drug... only a special blend that would help his muscles to relax, his mind to cool, and help drift him away from the darkness that he felt swirl under his skin every night. His eyes stared at the multiple stars, counting out the many different beautiful constellations that he could remember learning of. How many could he remember? He could do nothing but recount them in his mind, as he lifted one of his hands to his mouth, puffing away at the self-wrapped cut of herb. The other dove into his pocket, putting the lighter away as he sighed out a smoky breath.

One of the first that he saw, sitting outside by himself, was the 5 points of The Tiara of the Queen, she who'd given up her throne for the love of her life. He'd ended up betraying not just her love, but the love of his country. In regret, she tossed her crown to the heavens, where it continued to lay, waiting for the day a true rular could take it. Legend said that whosoever would become worthy to rule, the Tiara would fade from the heavens, and in it's place would be the queen's gaze, forever watching her kingdom flourish.

The Bull of Arbitrament, Asterous, was nearby. With horns that housed the gate to Paradise, hooves that dug out the trenches of Hell, and a single eye in the middle of its face, Asterous was the one who judged those who walked their paths in life. He was the judge of the soul, and through him, all walked either up his tail to the path, or they would be stamped out into the bowels of their own personal hell. Those who were repentful of their sins, they would face a long trial up the way of his back, but those who were truly good, or did their best to save others, would be guided by angels to the gates of Paradise.

He would have seen more, had not two hands suddenly covered his eyes and blocked his sight. A voice, one that was both slightly annoyed, but also one that he'd come to enjoy, worked its way into his ear, and into his brain as well.

"You know, I never took you for a smoker... Nor for someone who'd break curfew to go smoking or stare at the stars," Yang said, before pulling her hands away to sit down beside him. He only smiled and tapped the end of the herb stick, the ashes floating off on a gentle breeze.

"Honestly, I just came up here to get away from everything. It's been weird, to go from fighting monsters and rushing through forests... to suddenly we're in classrooms, eating in a cafeteria, to going through a scanner to mark down who we are before entering an arena to fight. It's... been a hell of a change to go through. Not to mention, we're getting a paycheck to actually come here and train. It's the first time I've not had to do random jobs for people to make enough cash for Ren and Nora to sleep good, or have a decent breakfast, or to have actual food or stuff to MAKE food. So, what made you want to come join me during my Personal-Peace-Pipe Council?" he asked, smiling as he lifted the small cigarette to his lips, puffing at it gently.

"Eh, Ruby's sitting up with Weiss to do homework for Professor Oobleck. Something about the historical lesson of... some mountain town, I guess?" She shrugged, causing the tumble of her golden locks to fall down her back slowly. "Blake, meanwhile, is up reading one of her smutty books... Don't laugh, I'm serious!" She grinned, watching as Hisode broke down into laughter at the idea of the black-haired girl sitting with a book full of erotic encounters, both gay and straight. After a moment, he sighed and sat up, just in time to catch the end of her rundown. "So, your 'Personal-Peace-Pipe' is what makes you think, eh?" The tone in her voice was obviously joking, as was the look on her face as he laughed a bit.

"No, it just makes it less depressing. What helps me think is building stuff. Cinereous, for instance, used to be kind of normal... but I've added the horns, changed her legs, given her a stronger frame... I need a new project. I need-" Suddenly, the idea hit him, as he blinked, his eyes wide. "...I wonder if it is possible. Plus, I could always design a secondary vehicle as well..."

"What?"

"I'm thinking... You know how we've got swords that turn to guns and whatnot?"

"Well, I've got my beautiful babies right here..." With that, she lifted her arms up and kissed the twin bracelets on her arms, ones that would expand into the dangerous pair of Ember Celica. "But yea, I get the point. Why do you bring it up?" Her smile on her face was, as Hisode looked at it, almost stammeringly attractive. Quashing down the distracted part of his brain, he gave a nervous chuckle and glanced away. It took him a moment to recover, as she leaned over and put her chin on his shoulder, while he could feel the grin that came off her. Why was it that Yang had to feel so nice and warm?

She was already seen as attractive as a magnet in school. Hell, Team RWBY, Pyrrha, Nora (which had only rumors for now, as he'd almost growled in rage when a boy made a comment about her chest and how it'd feel. The boy learned to regret that little comment when Hisode had threatened him.) and even REN were being considered the top beauties in school. The green-clad boy had the good graces to try and ignore it, but he'd often blush and deal with girls giggling coyly or one of them trying to snap a picture. Or, rather, they DID try to snap a picture.

After Nora broke their scroll with her bare hand, the giggles remained the only thing, but they were much more contained, and there were some whispers about Nora's crush on Ren. Hisode, however, only could shake his head, often letting the smile roll across his face. After all, they weren't true. He'd been around both of them for the long haul, and he'd gotten used to knowing the cues from the childhood friends. If Nora had a crush on Ren, it'd be easier to spot. No, it wasn't that.

Nora was in love with Ren.

Even if the green-clad doof couldn't see it, it didn't take a wizard genius to see THAT much. Nora often relied on Ren to chase the bad dreams away, even when they were at school. When Ren would get hurt, Nora would fly into a rage. When Nora would have someone annoy her, or make her feel down, she would turn to him and receive his kind words. She needed Ren, and Ren was happy to offer what she needed. Now if only he could open his eyes wide enough to spot the massive love flow in her heart for him.

Suddenly, he realized that he'd left Yang without an answer, drifting back into his mind as he often did. Glancing over at her was a MUCH bigger mistake, for when he did, Yang's face was right against his. His cigarette dropped from his hand, forgotten as he gulped and looked right into lilac eyes. She, in turn, gazed right into his own, before Hisode realized where they were, and what he was doing. She only kept her smile on her face, as he broke the gaze-lock with a cough to the side. His face was flushing red hot, as he collected his nerves slowly. How she managed to keep from bursting out into laughter, he wouldn't know.

"Just, uh... just thinking about going to a junkyard in town, picking out a good-looking junker bike and a big truck, and then heading to a scrapyard to do some collecting. I figured it's time I upgraded Cinereous, and also had a real vehicle as well; something I could use. Uh, for the team. There should be enough for me to scrap together and make a decent Team Runner. Um... Yeah," he added, staring at the stars. Suddenly, he couldn't see the constellations. All he saw were the stars in Yang's eyes, whenever they'd get into one of their pun wars.

"Mind if I come with? I could probably help out..." Yang sounded so calm and collected, even though Hisode could feel his poor heart about to jump out of his rib cage... which felt a bit poetic in its own way. He considered all the options: Say no, go himself, and probably lose a huge deal of lien getting a piece of crap, or say Yes, have her with him as they shopped (like a couple), and then probably walking around the town where he'd get her lunch as a thank you.

Saying No never felt more right at the moment.

"Absolutely. I'd love for you to come along."

...Wait, what did he just say?

"Oh, cool, that's great! It's a date!"

...Date? She... wait... date? Him? Date? What? She wanted... Oh dear gods, she said that?! Hisode almost felt like jumping for joy and whooping. But it wouldn't have been appropriate. Before he could turn to ask her what she liked, however, Yang's presence was gone. Turning to where she'd been, he saw her walking inside, the door closing behind her as he sat on the ledge.

It took him several passes of his fingers to realize he'd dropped his cigarette earlier, and that it wasn't the smoke that was making his stomach giddy and warm.

* * *

No. 9 crossed the metal floor with barely a sound. She would have been completely silent, but the report that she'd just received was urgent. The cold, grey eyes she had easily scanned the area around her as she stepped over the scientific floor, avoiding any potential pitfalls that would cause her to slip and delay her report. Her hair was cut short, surrounding the collar of the bodysuit she wore. Black, with enough cleavage exposed for when she would have to be used for her seduction missions and would require a quick change into the proper attire, the body-hugging suit clung to her form as she moved. With a bust that bounced with every step, and shapely hips expanding out of a slender waist, she appeared to be perfect.

She, of course, was designed that way. As were her 5 "sisters", and her four "brothers".

Of the 9, she was the youngest, having only completed her training 10 years ago. She was 18 biologically, but her mind was the steel trap of an experienced commander. She had to have been, as did they all. No. 1 was the oldest, at 27, but he was currently on a mission. In fact, there were only 3 of them remaining within the compound; No 3, who was 25 years of age and had long silver hair, Number 6 who had chestnut colored hair and was the only male Number, with a well defined chest that spoke nothing of his strength, and number 7, who's hair was pulled into a pony tail, colored orange. All three of them had similar appearances, designed to be as attractive as possible for seduction, but also discreet enough for their assassination jobs. No scars, no out of place birth marks, no identifying eye colors. They were all marked the same.

It was as needed for the Numbers.

No 9 stood upon the freight elevator, silent as a grave as she traveled deeper and deeper into the complex. Past the Genome Sequencing, past Insemination and Birthing, and down past the Testing Floors. She remained silent, despite the many sights that would have caused those who'd never seen the inside of the complex to shriek, gasp, or faint from the horror.

The Genome Sequencing floor held plenty of dead bodies, bodies both clean and ravaged by the Grimm. Here, those who's genes were desired most would be harvested, used for the creation of the artificial DNA strands. Those strands would be given a biological override of all the genetic coding of the receiver, to prevent possible cross-contamination.

The Insemination and Birthing rooms were where those who'd sold their wombs for quick cash were given the In Vito treatment, their eggs collected from their bodies before being paid in lien and allowed to leave. The eggs were then injected with the DNA Code, which would create the many, many children being "born" in said Birthing rooms. If there was any flaw in the coding of the genes, no matter how far along the child may have been, it was terminated. There could be no mistakes. Those that survived, however, with no scars or birth defects or any form of identifiable issues, were then sent to the final stop for many of them.

The Testing rooms were a horror show unto themselves. Children, no younger than 3, were hooked to machines that would feed the information to create the replacement Numbers should one fail. No matter how trivial, all forms of knowledge that could be given was done so, to better increase the chances of a successful infiltration. When the first phase was done, then they would be given combat and exploration training. They would learn to fight, or they would die. There was no third option. At the far end of the hall, behind a metal shutter, there would lay the Obstacle Course, a 30 meter track containing enough traps, pitfalls, sharpened pendulums and other horrors that would instantly kill any of the subjects if they failed.

Those who survived were then forced to kill their own "siblings", in order to pass the final part of testing.

No 9 glanced only briefly down each of the rooms, her memories sharpened as she reminded herself of her job. At the end of the elevator trip, she stood before the large, secured door. Entering the 10 digit code as she was instructed, she waited for the screen above the secured door to slide down, opening to show the face of her leader, the man in charge of Project: Numbers.

Arthur Watts, his eyes focused on a stack of papers, with a pen in hand. He briefly glanced upward, registering the woman's presence, before dipping his head down once again.

_"Yes, No 9? I'm in the middle of a report to her Ladyship. Unless it is important, I must ask that you do hurry, before I must terminate you."_

"The escaped Grimm from Snowblind has been eradicated, sir," her voice was steel, as she stared blankly at the screen.

_"Ah, excellent. Have No 8 return from active duty, then. I sh-"_

"He was not the one to do it sir. Reports locate that the creature was killed by a group of huntsmen in training, why No 8 was still en route toward the continent of Sanus, where the tracking beacon was still broadcasting. We were unable to reach a proper location, due to its constant digging through the dirt to end the extreme hyperthermic reaction of its body's chemistry."

_"Hmph... very well. Still, have No 8 return from duty... I suppose with the-"_ Suddenly, Arther froze mid word, his eyes lifting off the page to stare into the screen, right into the woman's own eyes. _"...Wait, Snowblind... that was to be the Gorgondra we found in the frozen wastes, given an extra strong armoring, for siege? Was it not?"_

"Indeed sir. The Gorgondra was noted for its decreased aggression unless it was threatened or taunted, as well as its increased paralyzing gaze. As well, it had mutated to no longer need the separation of head from body for new generation. It appeared that the creature was forming up to 5 heads when it had died."

Slowly, Arthur's hands folded into themselves, as his eyebrows drew together.

_"...Explain who killed it."_

"Unknown, sir. However... there is a hypothesis."

_"State it. Make it good."_

No 9 drew herself up. Even with her dulled emotional state, she needed all the courage she could give.

"Sir... it could be Serial Number 99."

* * *

**Remember, leave a Follow, a Favorite, and if you want, write a review of the story so far!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Good morning, everyone! Welcome, welcome, welcome to the 7th chapter of "Damnaged" and a very warm "Happy Thanksgiving" to everyone in my country. I hope all of you are able to get what you desire. This chapter is coming with a bit of an author's note at the beginning for one reason:**

**I am sorry. This is not one of my best chapters. Unfortunately, we're reaching "Jaundice" here, and I'm not a huge fan of the way that entire episode played out. I've done what I can to advance the story, while also working in said chapter, but... I won't lie to you all: This one was difficult.**

* * *

Chapter 7

Cracking his back with the limber and the dexterity his form would allow, Osirius Malachite was careful to follow the motions his officer and the researchers at the Academy had strictly enforced. His metallic arms, now equipped with proper humanoid hands, flexed and gripped the air, while his tail stretched backward. The day was not begun, it was said, until the body had circulated enough oxygen after sleep. That is what his instructors told him, and that was the guideline he would follow.

It was only 4am, and yet, as he finished the final stretches, dressed in a black, sleeveless hoodie with the silver emblem of the Atlas Military emblazoned over his back, as well as a pair of dark nylon pants. The only color to them were a pair of stripes that ran down each leg, two fingers thick each, that would coil like a snake around the legs. As he pulled them up to his waist, his tail slid into the slit he'd cut into them for where to put it. Complete with his clothes, Osirius tucked his hair into his bandanna, while the tail bounced down to his rear end.

'Right, that should be the proper wear for the morning jog. Now, checklist: 5 laps around the school, 10 sets of jumping jacks, 10 sets of push ups, 10 sets of sit ups, and then breakfast,' he thought quietly to himself as he closed the door as silently as he could behind himself. The daily routine of exercise was perfect for him, as he could feel his muscles tense and untense in excitement. However, something else stirred in his mind, as he walked the hall and passed by the door of Team RWBY.

_**'You know she's only friendly with you because she feels guilty. You know that if she knew what kind of a person you are inside, she'd hate you. You're pathetic. You're a worthless dumpster diver who got lucky with military training. You're not even CLOSE to what you need to be for her. You need to get it through your skull. You will never, ever be good enough for Weiss. You will never, ever be enough,'**_ the voice spoke, its words like nasty acid that threatened to burn into his mind and ruin the good memories. _**'It's why she stood there, watched you get taken away. She hated you, ever since she caught you ducking through her dumpster. You are a disgusting little trash monkey... no, a trash LIZARD.'**_

The voice could only echo, as Osirius stepped outside, his feet thumping softly into the ground as he approached the imaginary starting line for his running. How many times had the voice spoke to him? How many times did it come back to ravage his memories, to make the guilt in his heart grow? Exercise pushed the demon back, but it would return overtime. It would never fully fade, he had accepted that, but that was why he became a Huntsman: to learn to subdue the emotional feedback that the voice took so much delight upon. But then...

He shook his head, crouching down slowly to hold his hands toward the ground. His eyes hardened as he absorbed the landscape, as he'd done every morning since coming to Beacon. The trees, the grass, the pavement... all of it came into view for him. His eyes picked out every inch of the "race track" for him to run, before he took a single deep breath and pushed forward.

Within moments, his arms began to pump back and forth, chugging his immense form forward at a steady pace. His tail lifted and became the banner behind him, swinging with every push of leg-to-foot-to-pavement. With every slam of his foot onto the pavement, he was moving forward, away from the voice, and into the sublime part of his mind. The part where there was no cold voice, there was no aggressive hatred for his past, and there was nothing.

Nothing, but the memories of his childhood.

* * *

**Atlas, 11 years ago**

_It wasn't hard to collect treasure from trash, if you knew where to look. What would be broken to one person, if given to the right repairman in Mantle, could be just as usable as before, while not looking as pretty. You could take a clogged up Dust Engine that was disposed of, and with a good brush, some grease, and a little work, you could have it working just as good as before, sell it used, and make a massive profit. Trouble was getting to the good treasure, when it was stuck in the floating mass above Mantle._

_It was why Osirius was currently using his teeth, tail, and feet to pull himself along the tether, why he'd been climbing for what had to have been at least an hour. It was mind-numbling cold, the climb, but the first time he'd done it, he'd met Weiss. Maybe this time, he'd get to bring back some treasure. However, the blowing winds only proved vicious, pulling him as he climbed. He'd lost track of the actual time, in fact, when he'd been climbing, only knowing that at some point, he'd finally reached the mid point, and was far past it now. Now there was only the rest of the climb, the vents to crawl through, and the avoiding of the military patrols._

_The sun setting, however, was what worried him. Atlas was cold when it was light out, and when he'd left, it was already getting bad. Now that the sun was going to set, it was possible that he might have had to sleep outside again. But the more he climbed, his teeth gritting the cable-like extensions of the tether, the more drive he felt to explore, to gather what he could, to make a gift good enough for Matron Malachite. She'd pulled him out of the streets, he and the many other orphans who'd lost their parents, either to the mines, to the Grimm, or worst of all, to the environment itself. _

_As Osirius finally felt his chin hitting the warmed air around the vents, he could only speculate what happened to his own parents. As far as anyone could tell, whatever killed his parents also caused his arms to be utterly useless. They'd been frostbitten, and as a baby, he'd have died, if not for Matron Malachite. She'd been the one to cut them free, using her skills as a doctor to save his life. It was partly why he was so grateful to the kind woman. It was nearly impossible to know how old she was, even as a child, but everyone in the Shanty. _

_Crawling through the vents was much easier, especially when his head poked out and he saw where he was: Only 100 yards away, with the massive gate still closed, was the large manor of the Schnee household. At first, he considered slipping off to find another estate to dig around, but right before he could finish sliding out of the vent, he heard voices from a corner nearby. With a silent gape of fear, the Faunus boy pulled free, his smaller-than-normal form just able to wiggle out fast enough for him to step out into the road. He had little choice, as the voices drew closer, speaking in militaristic terms that, at the time, he could not comprehend. _

_Ducking himself down into as small a target as he could, Osirius dashed forward, and ducked down one alleyway alongside the wall of the Schnee Manor's estate. But as he did so, he heard the voices of more people coming down the opposing side. He was trapped... unless he made the choice to escape over the wall. It was the only path he had to choose, in the end. Kicking his feet off the cobblestones as fast as he could scramble, he made his way over the ledge, with his tail pulling his body as fast as his legs and his chin. _

_The moment he fell over the other side of the wall, he took a moment to glance around... and realize how much trouble he was going to be in._

'Ohhh, this is bad... really, really bad. Sure, returning Weiss was nice and all, but this is the SCHNEES. If they even see me, I'll be turned into a dart board! Or worse, they'll make me work the mines... or worst of all, THEY'LL TELL MATRON MALACHITE!' _Panic set into his mind as he thought of the disapproval on her face, as she would hate to see one of her flock trespassing on anyone's home. Without a word, the boy began to search around for any form escape route. A way to climb the wall, a vent for him to stuff himself inside of, perhaps-_

_Suddenly, a smell filled the air. A beautiful, mouth-watering smell that was far better than he'd ever smelt before. Before he could stop himself, the Faunus was dragging his feet over to a window, hidden from sight as he looked into the largest dining room he'd ever seen. Even bigger than the one Matron Malachite had at the Shanty, he could see a large table surrounded by dozens of people, all working to set up different places. But the smell itself came from the positively enormous feast that lined up and down the table. More food, and different looking ones at that, than he'd ever seen in his short life. It was the most beautiful view he'd ever seen. Voices, echoing from within the room, spoke of preparing for the guests to arrive, and that "Lady Schnee and her mother will join us shortly, though Master Schnee has chosen to stay behind for his work." _

_From one of the doors, Osirius was barely able to view the sight of a white haired boy, no older than he was and most likely younger by a year or two, who slammed through the doors and seemed angered. _

"_That foul woman! She's once again drunk! One of you, take care of it!"The boy pointed to a random woman dressed in what appeared to be a maid outfit, before he grumbled and took a spot at the table, his back to the window of Osirius. Instantly, the Faunus felt slightly angry, looking at how spoiled the boy was acting. What's more, he would drum his fingers expectantly almost immediately, as several of the staff rushed over to shine his shoes, fix his hair, and possibly freshen his breath._

_'I wonder if someone has to wipe his butt for him, too,' the vicious thought came to him, before he saw more of the staff lining up around the room. Butlers, maids, even chefs were-_

_And then it hit him. The CHEFS were out of the kitchen. There might be a chance for some real fancy food! Sure, it'd be scraps, but they'd be RICH scraps! Who knew what the kind of food rich people ate? He could be one of the few Shanty Sons who got to try one of the most delicious treats! With that, he ducked himself down and began to search around. It took him a few minutes, but so far as he saw from the windows, whoever was "The Foul Woman", she was not there, nor was the maid sent to find and help her. It was as he found a vent that he almost yelped for joy._

_Inside the dusty vents, Osirius climbed through the home. Immediately, it was MUCH warmer, enough that the chill that clung to his body since he'd climbed the tethers had completely vanished, replaced with a comfortable hum around his body. However, there was still a tint of the danger to be had, and that drove him on. That, and the fact his stomach was growling almost loud enough to be heard. If only he'd had arms to pat his stomach and soothe it just long enough t-_

_His foot touched a vent, and suddenly he found himself slipping through a tunnel, crashing into the kitchen basement. As soon as he skidded in, he knew that someone might investigate the noise. Ducking into the darkest corner, he waited for the moments to tick by. _

_One minute, and nothing came._

_Two minutes, his heart began to slow down._

_Three minutes, and he was ready to step out of the shadows._

_Four minutes, and he started to li-_

"_-swear I heard something down here! If there's some kind of Grimm or some monster, we've got to handle this ourselves, Klein! Not to mention, today is Whitley's birthday! If a single thing is out of place, Jacques will have our jobs, AND our heads!" The first to come a female voice, as the sound of footsteps stamped down staircase leading into the basement. Stern and iron strong, the voice sounded so much like Matron Malachite that Osirius was half-tempted to scurry out to face her, as she'd taught them all to do. However, the warmth of her voice was not within this female's voice, but rather a worried tone that spoke of nervous reaction._

"_My dear sweet Latva, calm your heart before you lose yourself! I assure you, whatever is down here, if there is something, we'd know it was a Grimm. I'd say the moment it smelled either the food or the humans, it would have lashed out. Of course, with as much wind that comes out of THAT bag, I'd dare to say that not even the strongest Nevermore could have carried anything up here," came the second voice. It snapped between different tones as it spoke, but more than anything came a jovial, warm nature, one that spoke of kindness and patience that reminded him of home. _

"_K-Klein Sieben! You know as well as I do that you should watch your mouth! If any of the other staff were to hear, the ones not as... tactful as myself, they would-"_

"_Latva, ease yourself... for now, let's focus on whether or not the sound you heard was actually a beast... or just the sound of the wind." With that, both figures stepped out of the staircase and in view._

_The woman was dressed in the maid's outfit as well, but there was more to it: A blue and white sash that hung from her left shoulder to her right hip, decorated with many different medals and designs. One of the medals, which she seemed the most proud of, was crafted by what looked like a child's hand, made from paper and a moderately expensive ribbon. On her face rested a pair of large, circular glasses, with one of the glasses completely blacked out and with additional shielding past the lens itself._

_The other was a balding man, dressed in a butler's suit. With a fluffy looking mustache that could only barely contain the smile under it, he looked like a younger version of the Present-er of childhood stories. His stomach, while not nearly as big, was still bigger than normal. But Osirius, still worried, did not give a single ounce of trust to either of them. _

_The first to move was the woman, who lifted a lantern up slowly. Her one eye travelled over the walls, the shelves lined with what looked like many different bottles. He didn't know what they were, but he didn't much care to question them. He only sunk himself closer to the floor, hunched down behind the box as tightly as he could. The lantern pasted by, not stopping for a single-_

"_TH-THERE! I SEE SOMETHING!"_

_Osirius' eyes bulged from their sockets, as he glanced up... to see his tail was waving high up in the air, twitching in the light of the lantern. Instantly, the boy dove for the vent, not caring how badly he would get scratched or anything, so long as he could take a quick escape route. The escape, what small plan that it was, was foiled with a hand reached out and grabbed him by his ankle, leaving him to squirm and bat around, trying to break free with fear etched into his face. However, it was only when the male, Klein, put him down against the wall that he stopped, cowering into himself. _

"_Easy, easy... we're not going to hurt you... Well, Latva, you've solved the case... It's the most dreadful creature I've seen, a Hungry Child." His eyes sparkled as he laughed, changing from hazel to red, to suddenly blue, as he gave a high pitched giggle. The woman, after giving him a half-hearted glare, looked at the boy with a frown._

_"You do know where you've intruded upon, do you not?" Her voice, while stern, was softer now, as she knelt down to look at him. Osirius, giving a soft nod of his head, started to shake. It was quite clear that if he made another attempt, they'd just capture him. Gods only knew what they'd do to him if he tried. But when he tried to speak, his stomach did it for him, giving a second, even louder gurgle. As soon as he heard it, the man began laughing._

_"Yes, I can see the terror and the evil within his gaze, the hunger for riches. Latva, you're scaring the poor boy... Though I must admit, he looks very familiar. Tell me, did you happen to meet Lady Weiss Schnee several nights ago, upon her birthday? It's alright, we're not mad, we're just curious," he added, as the boy curled up closer to himself. It took a moment to calm down, before he finally nodded slowly. The maid, looking at the man, gave a sigh before rubbing her head. In turn, the man smiled and patted Osirius' hair._

"_I can see it now... I'm Klein, and this bundle of nerves and fear is Latva. We are the Butler and Head Maid of the Schnee Household. However, I believe you're more aquiainted with the Young Lady Weiss, is that not correct?" A second nod later, and Osirius was gently helped to his feet by the woman. _

"_Good lord, Klein, he's skin and bones! Weiss just said he was a tiny thing, not that he wasn't starved!"_

"_My dear, he's not just skin and bones... you just see him that way because you've been locked away reading your yao-" was all he got out of his mouth before the woman's hands slapped over his face, and a scowl came over her face._

"_Not. In front. Of children." With that, she glanced down at the boy, before giving a glance to Klein. "You'll need to find a trolley... say that you've heard Weiss is not feeling well, and that she will be eating her dinner alone. I dare say Whitley will not miss her. Not if the comments he continues to make about his mother are to be the judge of THAT."_

* * *

_It was slow going, but after a minor moment of fear when one of the maids asked to use the trolley for a moment, a quick scrub down by Latva and Klein that left him feeling several levels of happier, and dressed in a nice suit that came from one of the maid's children's "missing" piles, Osirius was confused__ to feel the trolley slowing down, but not being asked to leave just yet._

"_Lady Weiss? It's Klein and Latva... Are you decently dressed? May we come in?" The man's voice was sing-songy, soft, and full of happiness. The sound was muffled, but Osirius heard a happy agreement, before the sound of a door opening could be heard. _

"_Latva and I know you and your brother have not had... agreeable moments. Therefore, we thought we'd bring you a meal so as to let you rest in peace. Of course, then I remembered that your birthday was only a few weeks ago-"_

"_Klein..." Weiss' voice was soft and enjoyable, less upset than she was before. The sound of Latva shuffling around, putting the plate of food onto a table, could be heard while Weiss continued. "I know you mean well, but I've not expected much in the way of gifts. If I need something, I just need ask father... So long as I stay out of his way after..."_

"_Oh? Then I suppose I should return this to Mantle?" With that, he knelt down and lifted the trolley's cloth, letting Osirius roll out of the bottom. Slightly dazed, the Faunus glanced around the room, before blinking and looking up to the surprised face of Weiss. _

"_Hiya, Weiss! Happy birthday! ...Again! I think that's how it goes, maybe I- DOH-AGH!" The rest of his words were cut off by the surprised shout, as Weiss tackled the boy down and hugged tightly. _

"_Klein, why... what... Where did you find him!? Is he in trouble? Please don't tell Father!" Her arms clung protectively, standing up to almost put her between the two servants. However, Klein only smiled and laughed, as Latva sighed and turned back to the trolly, putting more food (and how wonderful it smelled) onto a table._

_"My dear, we're not here to attack either of you... Fact is, dear sweet Latva heard him as he... well, crashed through to the basement. I suppose he got lost along the way to finding you. Maybe that's why he came back?" He smiled, as both children gave a deep red blush and glanced away. "In any case, do not fear... we won't speak a word of this to Jacques. But we WILL, however, set a room up for him to sleep in. I don't think the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company should be sleeping with her best friend, even if she's clinging to him like a teddy bear..."_

_The girl glanced down and gave a squeak, releasing Osirius as they jumped apart. Latva, to her credit, only adjusted her glasses and smiled, while Klein turned and walked to the door. _

"_Now, you two enjoy your meal, and enjoy your night... And Osirius, correct? I'm proud of you for helping my little snowflake."_

* * *

**Beacon, Present-era**

Blinking back to reality, Osirius realized, from the scream in his muscles, that he'd been running for almost 2 extra laps. With a slap of his face (the resulting SMACK of metal echoing through the field), he slowed to a stop and leaned against a tree, huffing and puffing with exertion. His next challenge would be to do the ten sets of sit ups, but as he sat down onto the ground, he felt his stomach churn expectantly for food. He shouldn't have remembered those times, specifically, especially when he was only starting out his exercise. He couldn't afford the distractions.

As he rocked his body upward, he tried to count down the number of times his elbows would touch onto his knees. He'd gotten up to 8 when a voice made him pause mid-rise.

"Perhaps it could just be getting older... but I dare say that it's not exactly scientifically healthy to force one's own body to operate without food," said Headmaster Ozpin. Immediately, Osirius rose to his feet, almost bouncing up to stand still and proud before the man, one hand raised up in a salute.

"Professor Ozpin, sir! I apologize for any noise I might have made in disturbing the peace of Beacon. I just came out here to go for a run, sir, and to keep my mind and body sharpened and ready for any and all threats!" His voice was clear, calm, but it also held the hints of exhaustion he'd worked so hard to hold back. The man's eyes only looked over the tiny spectacles he wore, as a smile formed on his face.

"Now now, no need for the military stance. I receive enough of that from James," Ozpin chuckled, as Osirius' form slowly began to relax. Not entirely, he still held himself in a dignified and collected manner, but he dropped his arms to his side and felt his back loosen. "Is there any reason why you feel the need to push yourself further than most students, when it clearly leaves you exhausted? Perhaps you feel that your incomplete or you feel a desire to prove something?"

"...I... I don't..." Osirius tried to keep his face straight, but for a moment, he felt the gaze of the headmaster pierce through his shell, and dig right into his memories. For a moment, Ozpin just leaned on his cane, looking at the stuttering teen who towered over him... before a small smile formed over his face. It was warm and kind, just as Klein's had been, and just like Matron Malachite's. Instantly, he felt as if he were back to being a small boy again, with no arms, a dirty face, and barely enough strength to weasel himself in and out of vents.

"It's alright to be strong, my boy... But remember, true strength is forged not from making one's own body as powerfully built, but by taking the time to create bonds. No matter what happens, never forget that friendship does not die. It does not bleed, and it does not truly fade. True friendship, though it does take time, requires you to put the effort in... and to be willing to accept that effort in return. Alone, even the strongest fortress will fall to the Grimm. No matter how perfect we build it. I believe such a thing happened during the Faunus Rights Revolution. And if you'll take the advice of this human-"

"O...Of course, sir! Commander Ironwood always said you were a smart man, and that your advice was to be taken above all else!"

"Then allow me to say this... You aren't the first man to seek out how to become the strongest. But you won't find it unless you learn to work with others, speak to them... and if all else fails, you've got teachers who are willing to speak with you. I don't claim to have all the answers. In fact, I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child on Remnant. But I can speak truthfully when I say this: You are not alone, and you do not need to force yourself to be that way. No matter what you seek, it is better to have friends ready to pick you back up." With those words, the man turned and walked off, sipping on his cup of coffee. For a moment, Osirius stood there, frowning as the words turned over in his head.

Perfection... something he'd long sought to be, and yet...

_**'How can you hope to be anything? You're too weak to even admit your fears to your team. But hey, not like they'd listen to you anyway!'**_

_'No... I think they would. I just have to try.'_

* * *

"So, there we were... in the middle of the night..." Nora began, her eyes glancing around at the 11 people seated at the large table.

"It was day," Ren corrected, picking up a small mound of rice to chew it down, not even bothering to look up from his spot next to the energetic Valkyrie.

Kamohoa's eyes darted to the group seating of the table. Osirius was listening intentively, having taken a spot beside the Shark Faunus, while Weiss sat on his other side, her focus mostly on trying to file down her petite, too-fancy nails. Yang, meanwhile, sat diagonally from Nora, next to Blake, listening with a smile on her face as she chewed on a cinnamon roll. Blake had taken to reading one of her books, this one without a cover. Hisode, giving a soft smile, only sipped on his tea while the orange girl went on, ignoring the interruption. His spot was next to his brother Ren, across from Weiss as she worked, while Ruby sat across from Jaune.

"We were surrounded by Ursai..."

"They were Beowolves"

"Dozens of them!" At this, Nora had slammed her fists into the table, but the groups had all lifted their drinks before she could knock them over. Kamohoa only tilted one of his brows up, turning to look at Jaune... who was playing with his food. A frown etched over his face as Nora finished her story, with Hisode and Ren talking about how it was her "favorite dream", The powder-blue haired teen sighed and reached over, taking Jaune's fork and stabbing it into one of the folded pancakes he'd had on his tray.

"Jaune, I don't think you can build a castle out of crepes. It just don't fucking happen."

The young male blonde's attention snapped up, blinking to look at the others, as Kamohoa noted the frown on both Ruby's and Pyrrha's faces. At first, he assumed it was due to his aggressive stance to waking the boy up, but then he saw their eyes were looking at Jaune's, not his face. Filing the second girl's face away, Kamohoa lifted a piece of his chicken filet with his finger and chomped down on it.

"Jaune, are you ok? You've been... more than a little distracted for a while now," Pyrrha said, her green eyes locked onto the side of his face. However, instead of giving a smile and explaining that it was just illness or some such nonsense, the boy just put down his fork slowly and sighed.

"Just... thinking about stuff. I promise you guys, it's nothing to worry about. I'll survive! I'm fine, look!" With that, he gave a thumb's up and nervous chuckle... as Kamohoa, Ruby, Pyrrha, and Ren shared the same look. While the words might have been different than his own, even Kamohoa could easily pick out the word to say... and did he:

"Uh-huh... Bullshit. So, what's really wrong, Jaune? If you're having trouble with homework, Ice Queen or Soldier Boy can-"

"Wait... is this about Cardin?"

Kamohoa blinked, slowly turning to Ruby slowly with a frown.

"Who's Cardin?"

"Uh... he's a nobody, dude! Nothing to worry ab-"

"He's one of Vale's hometown sons," Pyrrha began, giving a deep frown as she did so. "A bully who comes from one of the Council member families, and he's quite the bigot and sexist if rumors are true. And what I've seen, it's true... especially the sexist and bigot parts." With that, she turned her head, glancing over toward a table. The others, seeing her view, looked over as well.

There, sitting by herself, was Velvet Scarlatina. Or rather, she had been, until the chestnut haired teen from Initiation had moved in with his own team. Of them, one had a rather stupid looking mohawk, another had his hair combed back so far he looked to be emulating his own father while waving his hands above his head like a dumbass, and the third was just laughing at some pathetic joke.

"Hmph... so that's Cardin Winchester... I thought I remembered his name..." Hisode stared daggers at the boy, who took no notice except for reaching one hand up to tug at the girl's ears. The Faunus girl was starting to tear up, begging to be let go, as the team laughed louder. Everyone just stared at him, a general feeling of malice building as they did so. Except for one spot. One spot, in particular, had gone quiet.

"What do you think, Kamoho-" was all Osirius got out of his mouth, before turning to see... a completely calm teen wiping his face off... and offering a sublime, soft, calm smile.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Osirius? I'm just thinking about how we have combat class first thing in the morning. Does anyone know if Professor Port's essay is due today or next week? I finished it thanks to Hisode here, but I don't want to lose it in case I have a minor panic..." His voice was so calm, and he didn't even swear once.

Ruby, for once, looked absolutely scared, while Yang and Blake actually moved sides to sit with Ren and Nora. Jaune looked at the boy with a gulp, as Pyrrha blinked owlishly. Weiss, meanwhile, had stopped filing her nails, a drop of sweat sliding down her face as she pressed herself protectively against Osirius. The teen, confused, looked at her before glancing up slowly at Kamohoa, then pulling them both away slowly to give him space.

"What's everyone so afraid of? I'm just being polite..."

"Ooooh, if we're gonna get Cardin, can I break his legs!?" Nora's grin was nowhere near as menacing as the soft smile on Kamohoa's own face. Nor did her words carry the same amount of horror when he spoke after sipping a drink of water.

"Don't you worry, Nora, Jaune... I will make sure that this will be one of the most important Combat Classes Cardin won't ever forget," he responded, before gathering his tray up. "Tell you what, I'll even do the entire table a favor, I'll collect your trays for you all. Oh, and Jaune? If you would like to hang out after school, we can play some video games. Or maybe I'll buy everyone a pizza. After all, I'm just that nice of a guy, aren't I?"

The malice turned into complete and total fear as they watched the teen gather their trays, even moving out of the way of others.

"...Oh dear Gods, what has Cardin unleashed?" Jaune could only stare in somewhat abject horror, as the entire table gulped in unison.

* * *

"Mister Yale, as you requested at the beginning of the class, you and Cardin Winchester shall be our practice match. Do you understand the rules of such a match?" Miss Goodwitch's gaze never broke away from the powder-blue haired Faunus, who only hummed and nodded as he stood calmly, even smiling politely at the teacher.

"Absolutely. No Dust rounds at all, no ranged attacks, and no ranged Semblances, which shouldn't even be a problem for this match. I don't believe either my opponent or I have such abilities. Is that correct, Professor Goodwitch?"

The woman's eyes were staring locked at his face, as if trying to peel back any lies or half truths that might have lurked within him. But he'd even cleaned out his gun, he'd put every shell from Rocksalt on the lower ledge of the arena, and was willing to go hand to hand. But in the end, he was polite as he could be... and it was scaring the hell out of not just the group, but herself as well.

He had a plan, but no one could figure it out. And whatever that plan was, it involved Cardin Winchester, a sizable pain in the collective rear-end of Beacon.

Upon the boards, Cardin's and Kamohoa's ID pictures came up, locking their Aura readings for all to see. Sitting in the front row, Ruby and her team were watching as Kamohoa took up a very formal bow toward Cardin, who only snorted and lifted his mace behind his back.

"This will be over in a single move."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be, mister Winchester. In fact, I'd be willing to bet on it," Kamohoa's voice never sounded so... calm. Peaceful, even. And yet, right under that tone of peace... it was like a metal blade, ready to cleave through anything.

"Hah! Like I'd want anything from you... Now, if I could get something? It'd be some time with that Schnee girl."

Immediately, Osirius and Weiss both tensed, with her eyes narrowing down tightly, as the tallest of the teens began to scowl, his eyes looking dead set at the armor-clad pig.

"Hm... Very well, shall we begin, my opponent? Miss Goodwitch, would you give us a count down?"

The timer appeared above them.

_3... _The two students prepared to attack, with Cardin lifting his mace behind his head and a cold grin forming over his face.

_2... _Kamohoa merely dusted his jacket off, humming as he did so. He looked so completely calm and unfocus- and then that's when the group saw his arm.

_1..._ Cardin's eyes flicked over to the faint blue glow under Kamohoa's sleeve. Shock and confusion came his face, as if he tried to process, even as he raced forward to slam the mace down into the side of Kamohoa's face.

The buzzer sounded, and immediately, Kamohoa stepped forward, before using his back leg to push himself while doing a forward split. Cardin's mace swung harmlessly over the edge of his hair, but Kamohoa's fist, glowing brightly as he focused... Oh no.

Cardin's eyes went wide with shock, as Jaune, Hisode, Osirius, and everyone male in the audience instinctively crossed their legs, preparing for the horror show. It was too late, his arm over extended while his other hand was trying to guide the mace for a perfect One Hit KO. And there was one. It just wasn't the one aimed at the head on the shoulders.

_**CRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUNNNNNCH!**_

Cardin's face twisted into the most horrific silent scream that could have ever existed. Yang's jaw dropped in shock, as she saw the mother of all Nut-Crushers. Ruby squeaked and ducked her hands over her mouth, horror registering over her face. Pyrrha could almost feel her ovaries scream in agony. Nora stared with a huge grin on her face, CHEERING. Weiss, for all the aggression she felt before, could only feel pity as she looked at the mess. Ren, Jaune, and the other men all just sat there, the pain echoing through the entire room. And then Kamohoa's fist _lifted _Cardin off the ground, pushing even more pain upwards into his remaining nerves, before he fell backward onto the ground, mace dropped to the ground as he twitched. Saliva ran down the corners of his mouth, his eyes crossed and wavering, as tears fell down from their ducts. Kamohoa, dusting his hand off, glanced up to the Aura count.

"Huh... I put him in the red with one strike. I won that bet," he said calmly, smiling down at the utterly ruined teen below him. And this time, when he spoke, the calm was gone, but the anger was there still. "That's for fucking with my buddy, for the sexist comment about Ice Queen, and for pissing me off with the racist bullshit. If you ever can have kids again, make sure they grow up exactly the opposite of you." With those sagely words, Kamohoa slapped Cardin's cheek and jumped off the stage... and right into Goodwitch, who looked extremely pissed.

"...What? I didn't use Dust."

* * *

Sitting with one of the bottles of scotch, courtesy of his special new contact in Beacon ('_Thank fucking GODS there's someone else here who knows the good benefit to Papa's Medicine._'), Kamohoa cracked the bottle open and sniffed the opening. Six weeks of clean up duty after classes in the Combat Hall, that was what she'd ended up giving him. He knew the punishment could have been more severe... but it wasn't like he'd hurt someone who didn't deserve a good punch. Plus, he'd recover. Eventually. With only minor impotence.

"Mm, for all the shit those bastards put me through... I have to admit, they were right about booze tasting good after you kicked someone's ass... Fuckin Cardin... he'll survive, he had aura to heal him... he's just gonna walk funn, so who cares? Bastard had it coming anyway." With that, he tilted his head back and took a slow, careful swig. The burn of the alcohol felt amazing for his throat, leaving a smile on his face.

"Uh, Pyrrha, I know I'm going through some difficult stuff, but I'm not THAT depressed."

Kamohoa stopped on his second swig, hearing the voice of his blonde friend. Crawling over to the ledge of the roof, holding the bottle of amber happiness in one hand, he watched as the two students talked. At first, it was nice, to see the redhead doing all she could for her friend. If Kamohoa had to make a bet for who he wanted to get together the most? He wouldn't mind seeing her and Jaune get together...

...but then came the arguments. Jaune, angry, explained how he had hacked his way into Beacon, how he'd faked his transcripts to enter into the school. He said how his father, the father before that, they were all heroes. He explained how he had to be stronger on his own. His tone spoke volumes of the self-inflicted anger that he'd felt. The same kind of anger that could drive a person to self-improvement... or it could drive them to be destroyed by their own stupidity. With the way Jaune acted, however, Kamohoa could only guess at the latter. As he told Pyrrha off, the girl swiftly walked inside, looking heart broken. And as she did so, Kamohoa glared at Jaune. Not with anger, like he usually felt... just annoyance.

"Well, that could not have gone any better, Jaune, could it?" Jumping off the ledge, he landed with a loud thud onto the ground, still holding the bottle in hand. Jaune, hearing his voice, turned to Kamohoa with a blink and slight gasp.

"Y...you heard us!? You heard-"

"Sit down, and shut up, Jaune." With that, Kamohoa pointed to the ledge of the building, taking a spot close by. The blonde, taking a moment to think, slowly sat by him, frowning. For a moment, Kamohoa stared at the bottle of the whiskey in his hand, before cracking it open and holding it to Jaune's chest.

"Drink that, and tell me how it tastes."

"Uh... wait, is this... dude, this is b-"

"DRINK. It. Before I push your head back and force it down your gullet." Kamohoa's voice was back in an angered mood, as Jaune gulped and nodded. After a moment to hesitate, he lifted the bottle to his lips, took a sip... and sprayed the fluid out of his mouth, coughing horribly.

"OH my gods, that's disgusting! It tastes like... like... BLEH!"

"Yea... goes to show you that, just cuz it tastes like shit, doesn't make it medicine," the other teen grumbled, taking the bottle back in hand and taking a large glug from the bottle. "Not booze, and not words we say. You want to be a fucking hero Jaune? Well, here's rule number one: Heroes don't lie about their fucking entrance tests. Heroes don't fake their transcripts. Heroes don't make their partner feel like a goddamn idiot for offering help!" And with that, Kamohoa slapped Jaune's head as hard as he could.

"OW! What the- I don't think I deserved that!"

"Bullshit, you didn't! Lesson two, don't go getting pissed off because you're weak now. You think you can do it all on your own? Jaune, I came from the fucking DESERT. Guess what happens when you do shit alone? No, go ahead, please, guess what happens to the stupid fucker who thinks he can handle it on his own?" With that, Kamohoa took a third drink, his eyes glaring at Jaune's own face. "Time's up. Answer is, they FUCKING DIE. They die, Jaune. They die a death of either not enough water, the heat, getting lost in the ever-shifting sand dunes... they just DIE. You know what keeps them alive? Unity. Working together."

"But I don't want-"

"To be the fucking damsel, boo fucking hoo. You want to know something else? I don't want to be sitting here, yelling at you and telling you how much of a fucking asshole you are!" A second slap struck Jaune's head, as he fell backward onto the roof. "You fucked up, big time. Pyrrha wanted to HELP you. She wanted to make sure you'd get strong enough to handle becoming a hero. And now? Well, congrats, Jaune, you're now responsible for hurting your partner. Doesn't that make you feel like a real hero?"

For once, Jaune was quiet, looking down at the roof. Next to him, sitting on the ledge, eyes glaring as he chugged down the bottle, Kamohoa looked even angrier than before.

"I stick up for my friends, Jaune. You know why? Because in the end, I know I'll need them. I know that I can't do a lot of stuff. I can't see too well, I'm missing my eye! I'm not one for softness and kindness. I'm not one who's gonna sugarcoat things. You. Fucked. UP. Now, how does it make you feel, to make Pyrrha, who by all rights, should hate you right now, probably cry?"

"...It doesn't make me feel good. Makes me feel like a jackass."

"HE CAN BE FUCKING TAUGHT!" With that, Kamohoa slumped on the ledge, the last of the booze chugging down his throat. Glaring at the open end, he grabbed Jaune by his tie as he tossed the bottle over the ledge. "Come on, you and I are going to have a discussion. And it's not street smarts or whatever. This is about what you need to realize."

The two students marched down the hallway, stopping right outside of Kamohoa's door. Unlocking it, they saw Hisode sitting on the ledge of the windowsill, cigerette in hand, and Osirius, polishing his metal arms with the use of his tail.

"Uh... Kamohoa, what's going-"

"Dipshit here has something to say. Isn't that right, Jaune?"

"I... I made Pyrrha upset," he said, his eyes lowering down to the ground. "I... we were talking about how everyone here at the school belongs here, and... and I don't." With that, Jaune felt the words spill out once more. Not even caring at this point, he chose to explain what he'd done: The fake transcripts, the fact that he'd never even been to a combat school, the fact that he'd done all of this... to be a hero, like his dad, his grandpa, and his father before him.

The three boys, glancing at each other, gave sighs and set up a table. Hisode grabbed hold of a packet of cards, Osirius put his arms back on and set up the chair, while Kamohoa pulled out three bottles more of alcohol.

"Right... tonight, you can stick over here with us. You can drink, or you can choose not to, like these two jackasses. You've already fucked up with her once. So while we teach you how to play Vacuo Duster Bin, we're gonna walk you through what you're gonna do tomorrow, to apologize to Pyrrha for being uncon- an un... for being a dickhead!" With that, Kamohoa pushed Jaune into the first of the chairs, while the other two sat down silently.

Jaune, to his credit, looked ashamed as all four spots, including the empty spot where Kamohoa was setting up three bottles of dull-golden liquid, were given 2 cards each, and three more were set on the surface.

"...I'm sorry for getting mad, Kamohoa."

"...You've got a lot to learn, Arc. There's times when it's important to get angry, and times when you're just being a jackass. Leave the latter to me, I've got experience. You've still got a chance to keep your friendship, but you need to figure out how to apologize. Now... you gonna drink or you gonna pass?"

* * *

Pyrrha frowned, staring at the wall as she considered what happened hours before. She'd tried to talk Jaune down, to try and show her friend support... and all she'd done was just anger him. Had she just taken the time to understand him, that he wanted to be strong... she felt saddened, angry with herself for how she'd most likely offended Jaune. Still, she felt a little angry as well, as she crossed her arms. Jaune hadn't told her any of this, how was she to know? It felt so unfair to-

_**Knock, Knock, Knock.**_

The semi-soft rapping at the door pulled Pyrrha out of her own head. Sitting up from her spot, she went to the door, hearing soft voices being spoken, as well as shushing noises. When she opened the door, she was... more than shocked to see Hisode and Osirius, dressed in their uniforms still both Jaune and Kamohoa up. The taller teen, holding Jaune on his back, ducked into the room and huffed, putting the blonde on the bed. Immediately, the smell of alcohol was strong on both his and Kamohoa's clothes and breaths.

"Pyyyyrrrrhaaa..." said the drunken blonde. The look he shot to her was incredibly sad, like someone had found a way to concentrate the pure power of a sad puppy, added in violins, and ended it with a "death-in-the-family" cherry. He looked so sad... even as he raised his body up in a swaying motion that, had Osirius not caught hold of him and held him as he looked toward the redhead, he would have swayed right off the bed.

"Pyrr, I... I made a mistake. I got mad at you for (HIC!) being really nice... You were just trying to help me, an'... an' because I'm such a shitty person, I took it out on you...You're such a strong, cool person, and all I think about is _'how can I f(HIC!) things up now? How can I pull some... some crazy stupid stunt like make a Grimm chase me? Or make my shield pop up and hit my face!'_ You're really cool..."

"Ja-...Jau...Janey, you're sup-post to ask forgiveness, not flirt with her. HIC!" Kamohoa lifted a finger to point at the laying blonde, before he gave a groan and lowered his head. "Oh gods, there's three backs... which... which one do I vomit on again?"

"Oh no, no no no!" Hisode pulled the boy toward JNPR's bathroom, slamming it closed as he rushed to get his comrade to the bathroom. As soon as it did, the sound of retching filled the bathroom, which woke up Ren and Nora.

"Whuu? Are we under attack? Wuuzgoin on?" Nora's sleepy face glanced around at the group, before she reached over to Ren, who's own face was covered by his hand as he sighed.

He could already tell the trouble being caused by the sound of vomit and groans inside their bathroom. Sliding out of the bed, his feet walked over to the bathroom and slipped through the barely open door. Inside, the bandaged Faunus was leaned over the toilet, while Hisode, one bandaged arm held as far back as he could, was holding onto his head to help him aim into the bowl, and not over the sides. Ren only shook his head and slipped inside fully, the two boys immediately beginning a mutter conversation. Meanwhile, Jaune's voice echoed softly from the other side of the room.

"Rig... righ, 'pologize... Pyrrha, I wanna... wan... sorry. You... great figh'r 'nd I can' do NOTHIN'. You're... you've got a nice smile, but you look so sad when you cry. 'nd I was... I was... no, wait... You were right, I was... not right. The other one..."

"Wrong?" Osirius tilted his brow, glancing at a bemused Pyrrha who was doing her best to keep a smile from forming over her face. It wasn't just silly to see her friend, her partner, completely and utterly drunk off of his shield, barely able to keep his eyes looking right at her own. However, at the current time, he turned toward Osirius, poking a finger into the larger teen's chest slowly.

"Wrong? Noooo, I'm not Wrong, I'm Jaune! Wrong Arc is somebody else entirely! Do you think we're related? I never met Wrong Arc... but he sounds like a FASH-inating indiv...inde... person!" With that, Jaune's head turned toward Pyrrha, as he did his best to lean right toward her. "But I wasn't right... I'm sorry, Pyrrha... can you forgive me?"

"Jaune... I'm not sure-"

"Wait, what? You... you can't forgive me?" Suddenly, his eyes began to water. Osirius, to his credit, could only groan and palm his face... but she could hear a soft snicker come from him. Nora, on the other hand, was now laying on the bed, arms held to her face as she giggled and watched the two partners talking. It was adorable... and then...

"But... oh no... I waited too long!" And with that, Jaune Arc fell into the pillow and began to groan and thump his head into his pillow. "Kamohoa was right, I was a jackass!"

"Jaune, I'm not saying I don't... I'm saying I'm not sure you should ask me when you're... um, intoxicated. We can talk about it tomorrow..." With that, she patted the boy's back, which led to him holding her hand. Immediately, her green eyes widened with shock, as the blonde nuzzled her hand.

"Mmm.. Pyrrha has such lovely hands..." With that, Jaune drifted off to sleep, with Pyrrha's hand still trapped in his grip. The redhead glanced down at the predicament, while Osirius lifted his hand and laughed nervously.

"Ahh... I think I'll gather my partners and we'll be off to bed..." With that, he walked toward the bathroom, with more sounds of woe coming from inside. The duo picked up their friend, Ren following after giving Hisode a packet of painkillers and after cleaning up the mess, before they quickly booked it out once more, leaving the redhead trapped beneath the hand of a drunken, sleeping Jaune, while Nora and Ren smiled at the scene before them.

"Um... a little help, please?"

"I'm pretty sure Jaune has you pinned. Plus he'd probably feel better with his new favorite person cuddled up to him..."

"N-Nora! He's just drunk! He's not... I just think that we should..."

Pyrrha tried to stammer out words, but the only thing that came out was a blush, as Jaune nuzzled her hand and dreamt on.

* * *

**Ohhh, this chapter got so difficult to write in the middle... At times I wasn't even sure where to go with it. As you can probably tell, this chapter is a bit of a mess... but that's because we've got to establish more plot before we get on to the good stuff!**

**As always, leave a favorite, follow, and a constructive review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Oh, FUUUUUCCCCCCCK!... my head... How much did Jaune and I drink last night?"

The sound of the mighty Hangover from Hell.

Hisode, sitting on his bed, only watched as the massive mound within the sheets moved and dug itself into the bed, trying to escape its natural predator, natural sunlight. With a snicker, Hisode made to close the curtains, the lights having been turned off since the end of the game. Both of the non-drunks had spent time talking amid super-loud Drunk Snores, of which they'd spent time actively getting to know one another.

To know that Osirius was worried whenever he failed, it made the massive teen that much more human to him, and it would to Kamohoa, had he not made himself into the recipient of a massive drum in his skull. But standing up, Hisode had to admit... they were good friends, even if they had their moments. Kamohoa was still an underage drinking idiot, but he was THEIR underage drinking idiot. As for Osirius, he might have come off as withdrawn most of the time, only to turn demanding and aggressive during training, but he was trying to help them become better. It wasn't bad, not in the slightest.

Except, of course, when they would go too far and need to have someone pull their hair back while they puked their guts out into a toilet.

Standing up with a sigh, Hisode grabbed one of his hair ties, gripping hold of the violet locks to set the tail before wrapping the band around the base of his hair, once more donning his trademark ponytail. Swinging his head side to side, he checked for any mess, before standing up.

"Well, I'd love to stick around guys, but it's a free day today, and tomorrow is our off day... Yang and I have our date."

The reaction of the two was swift, as Kamohoa yanked the blanket off his head, while Osirius stared at him. The two were silent, thankfully, as Hisode began to check his closet for fancier looking clothes, giving a grumble as he noted that most of his combat clothes made him look too bulky, before removing one of his vests and the attached arm-warmers, as well as a fresh roll of gauze. He did NOT, however, ignore the feeling that two pairs of eyes were staring right into his back, nor did he have time to react before he felt two hands spin him around to look directly at him.

"Date? Like... Going to Vale with a girl, date? And with Yang? The girl you've been going goo-goo eyed for? The blonde with the powerful right hook? THAT Yang?" Kamohoa, for his credit, was able to resist the light that would not be denied, as Osirius nodded and looked at their leader.

"Yes, are you going on a date with Yang? Don't feel any pressure, but are you absolutely SURE you're going on a date with Yang?' The way they looked at him, Hisode was more than slightly worried for their sanity. Very, very carefully, he raised his hands up and pushed their limbs down.

"Yes, the same Yang, yes, we're going to Vale, no, I don't go "goo-goo eyed" for her, and yes, I'm sure. She's the one who said it." With that, he turned back around to start looking for clothes. However, before he could even pick out a new shirt to wear, the sound of shuffling was heard... before a shirt, a pair of jeans, and the sound of a scroll being dialed could be heard.

"Maho, you there? Look, it's Kamohoa... Yes, you've done fantastic with the good stuff. I'm currently battling a hang over as we speak... Yes, I'll be fine, don't you worry about m-... No, I don't... Ma... Maho, listen to me, I need you to do an emergency drop! No, it's not another fire. No, nothing that severe, my Team Leader just has a date... Actually, I can't tell you who, but- … wait, really? Alright, it's Yang Xiao-L- Don't you start laughing at me, I'm serious! Look, keep this under your hat. Because it's just a date, you moron! Anyway, can you, uh..." Kamohoa's voice went soft as he whispered into his scroll, while Osirius pushed their leader into the bathroom.

"Right, let's get you looking top form..." Without a single second, Osirius took out a comb and began to ruthlessly drag the teeth through his scalp, pulling his hair back painfully. Despite the cries of pain, however, the military-trained master of manners kept forcing the comb through, pulling apart the knots and the tangles that had formed over the years without a proper way to fix them.

"OW! Osirius, that hurts! I still have to get changed! Why are you two so fixated on try- OWWW!"

"Calm down, this will be done soon. Kamohoa will make this date with Yang the best you two have gone on. And if it goes well? You two might go on more... just remember to be polite, open the doors for her, pull her chair out, we'll give you extra lien for expenses, and don't make her feel cheap. Not only will you have me on your rear end for doing so, and not only will you offend Yang, but you'll have all of RWBY coming down on you. You don't want the group of highly angry women trying to cut you down for failing to make one of their own happy, correct?" Osirus's eyes looked at him through the mirror, as Hisode, for once, felt the comb pull back against his hair, pulling away from his face to show both of his eyes. One glimmered purple, a beautiful amethyst that glinted as brightly as the gem. The other was the strangest color of orange, however, flecks of red almost dancing within the iris. It almost looked golden, albeit a gold that sparked in a feral light.

"Well, well, look at that... You've got a handsome face under that hair! Haha, you are gonna knock Yang out with your eyes alone..." Hisode blushed and looked away, trying to ignore the feeling of the butterflies that swam inside his stomach. His first ever date, and here he was, with his teammates rushing around to try and make him look good. As he glanced back, he saw Osirius take out a bottle with a small nozzle, before spraying the base of his neck with the scent of... oh dear god, was that how cologne smelled!?

"Ugh, ok, ok, I got the rest of this, guys!" As he pushed, however, he felt the clothes taken out of his hands. The two boys glanced at the choice in apparel... and immediately frowned at him.

"Dude, this doesn't look very "date-like" at all, you look like a fucking idiot."

"Indeed, you'll need to look your best... No one said you had to go formal, but we're not going to let our leader venture off without the proper attire! Kamohoa, do you-?"

"Even with as shitty my hangover is, I always got a plan. Grab me a tie from your closet, we'll need a proper vest... Hopefully I still have that one I "borrowed" from a year ago. You should fit into it, better than I did... oh, and if there's a knock at the door, it's Maho Burgundy from team LMNN. He owed me a favor after I lent him some lien," their comrade added, as he dug out a white, thin-striped shirt and some very well made dark-grey pleated pants, while Osirius dug out a black vest and a red tie.

The two boys then shoved the clothes into Hisode's arms, before pushing him into the bathroom to change, which left him standing there with confusion as the door closed behind him.

"...What just happened?"

* * *

Yang Xiao-Long sat on her bunk bed, finishing her daily check for any mail on her scroll. It had been a boring week of school work, though finding out that the Vytal festival was coming in only a matter of months had been a welcome surprise. It meant that she could get to hang out with people from all over the world, see what kind of fighters there were, and even have some new jokes to make. She couldn't WAIT till she could kick some serious butt, and with her sister and her friends, they were the unbeatable Team RWBY! However, as she finished her mail check, she saw the alarm:

"Oh, crap... today's the day me and Hisode are going out to the scrapyard... Wonder if he's doing alright," she murmured to herself, before climbing down to the floor. Weiss, having finished her work, was in the middle of an email to her sister when she glanced over at the Blonde.

"Hmm? You and BCKM's leader are going to a scrapyard? Whatever for?" She turned to the girl, her eyebrow tilted as Ruby, having been invested in her comic book, and Blake, who'd been re-reading her own book, glanced over from their spots in their beds.

"Ah... Well, apparently he's going to be building some new vehicles or something, and I asked if I could come along. He said sure... why do you guys ask?" Yang took out one of her brushes, slowly running it through her hair to avoid pulling out any by the roots. There had been one accident, and when she'd found out she'd pulled one out, Ruby, Weiss, and Blake had to fight for hours to calm her down. After the incident with the Ursa, she couldn't blame them for being wary enough to stay far back while she did so.

"So.. You and Hisode are going on a date?" Ruby's voice was so sweet and innocent, but the question made Yang blush the lightest tint of pink. However, quashing it down with force of will, she turned to her sister and grinned in a sweet, goofy way. It did nothing to disarm the ever-so-haughty smirk that formed on Weiss' face, the tiny smile on Blake's... or the giant, evil, shit-eating grin on Ruby's.

"Come on, little sis! Hisode and I are just friends... it's not like he's gonna come to my room with my favorite flowers, dressed up all fancy or whatever! We're just going to pick up some frames, some parts, and then we'll head back. We shouldn't take more than an hour, two at most," Yang finished, her hair sufficiently brushed and prepared for what would likely be a normal Bullhead trip and back. However, before any of the others could voice their own opinions or, gods forbid, their enjoyment, a soft knocking hit their door.

"Uh... Yang? Are you all ready? I, uh... got something for you."

...Ok, so maybe he had planned a little extra, just to say thank you. Yang glared at the girls who snickered, Ruby's smile threatening to break her face in half with how big it had grown. Weiss, looking quite pleased with herself, only turned in her chair to more fully watch the scene play out. Blake, her bow-wearing partner, only closed her book and sat up, leaning one hand on her chin. They were enjoying this, even as Yang rolled her eyes, opened the door...

"Good day, Yang... I hope you don't mind, but, um... these are f-"

_**WHAM!**_

Ok, nope, NOW she was going to blush. Her face turned bright red as she stared at the door, before she gave a strangled cry and rushed to the closet.

"YANG! That was really inappropriate!" Weiss' indignation might have been more geniune... if she didn't have a smile as big as Ruby's was. The blonde, however, didn't even care as she rummaged through her clothes, shock on her face.

"He brought me flowers... FREAKING FLOWERS! I thought this was just supposed to be a day trip! He's dressed really nice, he's taking me out, and flowers! You three are laughing at me, but when the hell has a guy ever brought me flowers?! How am I supposed to react!?" In her panicked state of mind, the buxom brawler worked to quickly drop her shorts in favor of a black miniskirt. Over it, she wore a black shirt, as well as a cream-colored vest. Seeing her shoulders bare, she whipped on a black shrug, choking herself as she hooked the belt around her neck before pulling it to the right spot. Hopping in place as she pulled her boots up, she glanced at the others, frowning.

"How do I look?"

"Uh, Yang, you-"

"PERFECT! Great, thanks!" With that, she ran back to the door, whipping it open once more. Hisode, distracted, looked... actually kind of sad now, his shoulders having slumped and his hand holding the ro-... Oh, god, he brought her ROSES. Upon seeing her, his eyes went wide with shock, before she realized that HE had combed his hair back, and now she could look at both of his eyes! She turned to her team, giving a nervous laugh, before looking back at him. "Uh, sorry about that... I wasn't expecting... I mean, I wasn't thinking... wow, you look good!"

"Uh... you... wow, you... uh... You look amazing." His eyes were not just focusing on her cleavage, or her waist... he was looking at all of her, taking all of her in. However, before the two could chicken out, or before Yang could even react, Ruby stepped over and smiled at him.

"Hi, Hisode! Sorry for that, Yang here had a little... crisis of her own. I swear, sometimes she acts all big and tough, but she's so cute when she gets flustered... I think she's got a sickness~."

'_YOU LITTLE LYING TRAITOR! I'M GONNA-!'_

"What?! Oh no..." With that, he stepped close and pressed his forehead to hers. His eyes had closed, as he hummed a bit. Immediately, Yang could smell his cologne. He'd worn it, just for her? Wait... was he trying to make a good first romantic attempt with her, and now he was worried about her health? It was... actually really sweet, even if it left her blushing again. "Hmm... she does feel a bit warm. Has she had any water lately? Or eaten any strange foods? She might have to see the nurse... if need be, we can resched-"

"No, no, I'm fine! I'm fine, I promise!' With that, Yang stepped back, laughing nervously as she took the flowers... which felt slightly damp and smelled completely natural, oh gods, he WAS trying to make a good impression! "So, um... shall we get going?" With that, she hooked her arm around his, dragging the confused, but smiling, Hisode behind her. After a few steps, he found his footing and began walking next to down the hallway, As he turned, their arms came apart, but his smile never left his face as he led them both down the steps.

Yang, admittedly, liked to see the smile on his face. It wasn't... it wasn't perverted, or trying to get lucky, it was honest and nervous. The kind of smile that spoke of how he felt truly, that he was grateful for her to be there. And Yang? Well, she couldn't lie... it felt kind of nice to have someone think so well of her.

"Be safe, you two! And remember, no kissing on the first date~!"

...And now she had teammates to kill.

* * *

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake all stood at the doorway, watching as the two walked down the steps, with Hisode even blushing with every step. They looked so cute together, especially when she'd started trying to drag him away like they were going to pester him. They hadn't planned on it, not at all.

But when the trio looked at each other, the smiles that appeared on their faces spoke instead of following after the two.

A plan that seemed to be shared, as Kamohoa and Osirius appeared at the other end of the hallway, quickly marching in step while dressed in matching trench coats and black fedoras. Ruby, of course, instantly took up a chance to grab one of the school newspapers, while Blake picked up one of her books. Weiss, for once, had no idea what to grab, until Osirius spotted the trio at the door.

"Uh... I'm guessing you all are going to follow them too?"

"Of course. We must follow them to... make sure the school rules are being followed! We don't want them to break the rule-"

"Ice Queen, you're a terrible liar, but if you want to spy on them with us, come on. We've got enough time to come up with an alibi AFTER we get on the Bullhead!" But just before they could rush forward, Jaune stumbled out, holding a bag of ice to his head.

"What are you all doing? Kamohoa, I- ugh... I thought you'd be as messed up as I am..."

* * *

_'Oooookay, so, just have to keep calm... don't make a mess of this, Hisode... think it out. Don't focus on how beautiful her hair is... don't try to make a fool of yourself. Stay calm, stay cool, and just don't say anything really dumb,'_ thought the dressed up teen, as Yang and he walked along the side walk of Vale.

"So, um... how's the whole Team RWBY thing going? You still kicking butt?"

_'ARGH! WHY DID I HAVE TO BRING THAT UP!? GODS DAMN IT ALL! OF ALL THE SUBJECTS, I PICK THE ONE SUBJECT AS BAD AS 'How's the weather? How's school work been treating you? Did you pass your test? Hey, did you get a haircut?' STUPID! IDIOT! YOU ARE TRULY REMNANT'S BIGGEST DUMBASS! STUPID STUPID STU-!'_

"Hah! You know I am. I'm making sure that no one can top my scores at puns OR at droid-smashing! I've even got some of the older students shocked how good I'm doing!" Yang's grin instantly melted the part of his brain that was beating his self esteem down. His chest pushed outward, Hisode laughed a bit, and looked at the buxom brawler with a wink.

"Well, I can firmly say that, while I can't top your puns, I shall do my best to..." Here, he withdrew his lighter, flicking it open in between them. "... match them."

She gave a laugh and lightly punched his shoulder. For others, it would have felt painful... but for Hisode, it only served to make the butterflies in his stomach swirl more.

"Oh man, that was actually..." and she, in turn, took out a piece of paper, before ripping it slowly. "tear-able. I can't believe you had a joke like that fall so..." And here, she took one of her hands and, with a flick of her palm, slapped on the concrete of a building. "...flat!"

The two stood there, glancing at each other. Their eyes shimmered as they began to snort, chuckle, before breaking down into howling fits of laughter. Yang's arm grabbed hold of his shoulder, as Hisode bent forward to hold his knees. It was so stupid, making such weak puns, and to use props too? It was awesome! After they stood back up, they sighed and moved closer together, walking down the street in a much more relaxed way.

"I'm sorry for the really bad pun, Yang... I've been off my game for a while. I guess it's been weird, seeing how we went from trying to fight Grimm to suddenly going to classes where we only get to hear about monsters... That and fight each other. I don't think that was what any of us were expecting... But honestly, it's nice. I've gotten to meet people like Jaune and Ruby... I'm glad for that. And I also got to meet you, which is like, 100 years of good luck rolled into one person," he added, his eyes staring ahead as a smile played over his lips.

"Ohh? Is someone trying to flirt with me?" Yang's voice sounded so sweet and carefree, Hisode couldn't help but grow his smile, even as the butterflies settled down to rest on the edge of his stomach.

"No, I'm being honest... You're fun to talk to, you're kind, and the most important part of everything: You're someone I can rely on. When I feel like I'm not one hundred percent, I often think of you. I think how strong you are, how easy it is to smile around you. You're the kind of person that this world needs more than anything, and I'm grateful you're here with me." He'd spoken honestly, truthfully, and for some reason, his gut kept pushing him along as he spoke, telling him what to say as he did so. With a blink, he realized Yang had stopped walking. Turning back to her, she was looking at him funny.

"...You're serious? You're like... not trying to cop a feel or just stick your tongue down my throat or lull me into your wicked ways, right?" Yang's joking nature aside, she sounded a little... off. It made him worry, and for some reason, he felt like not just his gut, but his Semblance was pushing him. It was odd, but he moved forward to hug her, patting her back.

"Of course not, Yang. I value you. You're like.. one of the best people I've ever met. You're strong, extremely strong, but not just physically. It's that emotional strength, the strength you have to endure, to take what the world has and throw it right back, just as strong. I think that's what your Semblance symbolizes... and it's really cool." With those words, he started to pull away, ready to look down at her and mirror her usual goofy grin.

Instead, he felt her arms swing up and pull him back in, hugging him tighter.

"Uh... Yang? Are you feeling alright?"

"Yea... J...Just give me a minute here. I've, uh... I've got a minor trouble with my boot, and I need to lean on you," she said, pointing to her foot as she kicked her toe softly against the ground. Hisode, to his credit, only stood still, holding her back to prevent her from falling over.

He didn't even notice how Yang's face was broken up by a huge, overwhelming smile while her cheeks blazed the reddest she'd ever blushed. Nor did he notice when several figures, watching the two hug, peek around from a corner, dressed in various disguises.

* * *

"Oh my gosh, LOOK! They're so cute together! Oh man, Renny, take a picture, quickly!" Nora smiled, her fake mustache almost bouncing as much as she was trying to, while several hands held her firmly to the ground. Ren, to his part, did not immediately take the scroll out, but he did slowly reach for it.

"Oh wow, they look so... adorable!" Ruby squeed, leaning over with her fedora tilted to one side, hiding her face as her cape swung behind her. The biggest smile she'd ever had was on her face as she watched her sister hug the teen... before trying to adjust her boot. "Awww, she's doing the boot thing! She used to do that with Dad whenever she'd get too flustered about getting a gift or something."

"You should hear the shit he's saying... It's cheesy, it's really dumb, and dear GOD is it dumb as all fucking hell, but... damn, he's smooth," Kamohoa muttered, one hand gripping a newspaper while the other held onto the edge of the building. Ruby, taking up the other edge of the newspaper, only could nod, looking out through a hole on her side. They watched as the two discussed inaudibly, before Yang lifted her head up and smiled. Suddenly, she took his hand in hers and began dragging him off.

"That's our cue, ladies and gentlemen... we're off, and keep watch for anything. It's difficult enough without people stumbling over tails or, worse, pulling off our disguises..." Osirius had done the best he could, wearing a fake beard, a flat-topped hat, and two coils of fake hair, which clashed horribly with the enormous green "tail" that swung out of the back. To complete the outfit, he'd gone with a massive oversized black coat, one that loomed over him like a shadow rather than a piece of clothing, and a white shirt. His arms, for one, were hidden within the sleeves. No one knew WHERE he got it, but they could confess one thing: he looked intimidatingly larger.

"...I still think we stand out too much," Jaune said, wearing a pair of sunglasses and rubbing his temple as he leaned back into the shadows. He'd gone for a red leather jacket and a white shirt, with his head covered by a hoodie under the jacket. Pyrrha, smiling to herself, wore a pink sweater with grey-colored jeans, a pair of sunglasses cresting her forehead as she held the blonde up with an arm over her shoulder. "Also, there's no way I'm drinking that... that CRAP ever again. I feel so utterly sick right now, and my headache is killing me."

"You say it now, Jaune, but trust me: Liquor is a friend to the foolish. And you, Jaune, the way you act sometimes... I'm shocked you're not fucking sloshed 24/7." With that, the bandaged Faunus took the lead, moving the group down the sidewalk quietly as they maneuvered through the occasional person or trashcan. Occasionally, someone would turn to stare at the crowd of teens who'd taken on various costumes, but they would only keep walking with purpose, with the red-hood wearing one even skipping to match step with the newspaper bandaging bearer.

A strange group, indeed.

* * *

The two teens stood outside of the scrapyard, frowning as they checked the gate. The man near the booth, a "Mr. Pinkerton", was snoring away with a magazine stuck to his chest. The magazine had a cover image of a woman in a skimpy bikini, her gaze plastered outward while various titles blared their contents on the front. However, Hisode couldn't find much to really oogle: The woman looked to be in her 20s, she had far too much eyeliner on, and she probably was making far more money than a Huntsman-in-training would ever see in all 4 years of school put together. With a shrug, Hisode walked up to the booth and knocked loudly, waking the man with a loud snort and tumble forward.

"What?! Who's there! Oh, just a pair of kids... What the hell do you want?" With that, he picked up a can of what was most likely beer, sloshing some of it down the front of his off-white, stained tank top. The two red suspenders that hung off of his shoulders jiggled almost as much as his gut did, while his hair, or lack of it, was hanging off the top of his head in no more than 5 strands. With a grunt, the man stood up in the booth, before a thunk behind him made a nicely crafted pyramid of beer cans shower down into the floor, making him curse up a storm.

"Hi, I'm Hisode and that's Yang. We're from Beacon. Came down here to check out the scrapyard, see what we could pick up for building supplies. I'd be willing to pay you a decent pr-"

"Kid, you can offer me all the lien, but you're from Beacon, I know how that shit goes. You'll get the student discount, 65 percent off, yada yada... Not like you two are know what to look for. Just remember the rules: No fuckin, no trying to steal shit, and don't fuck with my dogs. If you do the latter, your ass is history, and it ain't my hand that will be the one who pulls you out of a doberman's mouth. Now get the hell out of my sight, I got paperwork to do." With that, the man plunged his finger down, sending the gate to creak open.

Hisode, now sporting a blush that felt like it was burning him inside out, walked over to Yang. The look on her face, a disgruntled look with a blush, told him that she was not too happy with the words of the scrapyard owner.

"Pig..."

"No, I'm pretty sure he's human," he muttered to her under his breath, causing her to crack that smile once again. The two were almost through the gate, before they heard one last line.

"Oh yea, and whatever you pick, put it in the Delivery Zone. I'll have one of the Droppers come by and put it at Beacon's Garage. Now you have fun, you love birds!" He cackled, as the two shot him a pair of blushing glares, before entering the yard itself.

Inside, hundreds of piles of metal cars, sheets, and other war-torn, rusted, or otherwise discarded vehicles, cars, appliances, lightning rods... it was a hell of a place for someone who needed to build something, especially as Hisode glanced around and whistled.

"The stuff I could use to rebuild Cinereous... I could put up a polarizing ion charge! I could make her feet have magna-locks! Those would work great for all those times to get up higher... Or maybe I could re-calibrate her systems. Ohhh, the amount of Dust I could save if I updated her engine with a double Magnum-Series Ex-"

"Uhhh... Hisode? Ease it back here... Remember what you came here for? Cycle, truck? You were gonna build that first...?" Yang's voice snapped him out of his fanboy-mode, as he laughed and rubbed a hand back over his hair.

"Ah... right, sorry about that... Sometimes I get a little ahead of myself, the idea of building up a better and better version of something... I kind of lost my head there..."

"Hey, it happens to all of us... just don't go drooling over some chrome, ok? Save that for a pretty girl you happen to like," she added, punching his shoulder and giving a laugh. Hisode, for once, didn't even need the push in his gut, as he looked at Yang and smiled.

"Actually, I don't plan to go drooling over you. I'd rather get to know you more, and spend time and make sure you're enjoying time around me."

He didn't hear the answer, as he walked over to a pile, crouching down to start searching the piles for a sign of a tire, or perhaps a form of seating. As he searched, he felt Yang's fist punch his shoulder, this time a little more hard as she hid her face from him. He glanced over to ask what he'd done to deserve it, but from her body language, she looked... a little shocked to be honest.

"You keep this flirting up, I'm gonna think you're actually into me..." Her voice was slightly off, like she didn't want to believe it, before Hisode laughed. His arm reached over and hugged her, before grinned in his dumbest way.

"Oh come on, Yang. We both know you're way out of my league."

* * *

Half an hour into the search, and Yang's mind was still buzzing. She tried to shake it off, but his words kept floating around her mind, while they searched around for whatever he'd been looking for. She knew WHAT he wanted, and they'd made good progress: Collecting a bike frame, some tires, even most of an armored car that they'd both pushed into the "delivery zone", which was just a square made of water-proof tape next to a dog kennel. But even as she put more and more of whatever Hisode would grab hold of, the more her mind buzzed.

'_Out of his league? But he's really nice and... wait, no! We're just friends! How long have we known each other, a... a month. And we've had small talks! ...We've also told each other jokes..._' Her mind flashed to a moment in Oobleck's class where, right before she'd fallen asleep, Hisode had started to make puns about how Signal originally was run by a Bat Faunus. While the teacher had gone off on a lesson, the stupid jerk kept humming "Na-na-na-na-na-na-na," under his breath. She'd almost choked twice when she'd gone to take a sip from her bottled water.

Then, when they'd finally gotten free from the lesson, he'd turned to her and said in as strong a voice as he could make: _"I must talk to the Commissioner. Hopefully, O'Hara is-"_ and that was all she got before she burst into laughter and clung to him for support. Ruby and Jaune just gave her funny looks, while the others, who'd either heard him or knew the source, only groaned and palmed their faces. That was the kind of fun they had. They were nice to hang out with, and the way they got along... it felt good. But then there were times when he'd seem down, or withdraw away from everyone. Like he wasn't trying to get too close.

Even now, as he pulled out a large engine, hefting it with both arms straining, he looked... pensive.

"So... what do you like to do for fun? You wanted to get to know me, so let's talk. We've been working for a while," she added, resting herself onto the edge of a tire stack. Hisode, placing the engine into the side of the truck, glanced over and blinked, looking distracted before taking a seat next to her.

"Uh... alright. I like to read comics, for one. Helps me to come up with the stupid crazy crap I build for Cin. I also like to play video games, but I've never really had a chance for much... Nora, Ren, and I only ever got to play one game as kids, and that's cuz this one kid invited us to his birthday... we were the only ones to show up, so we spent all the time doing what he wanted to cheer him up," he recounted, rubbing a hand over his chin. Yang watched as he thought his answer over, smiling as she saw both of his eyes give a glint of enjoyment. She really liked seeing both of his eyes.

"...You should wear your hair like that more. It makes you look good." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. The fact that he paused his words, and blushed, really blushed, while smiling and stroking his hand through his locks made it worth it, however.

"Thanks... I never really took much concern with how I looked. I always just let my hair grow as it did. Guess that's why it looked like a rat's nest before it got fixed," he laughed, as Yang smiled and leaned forward. It was good, seeing him like this, when he was more open. He was smiling, he was brushing his hair back, he was open and honest about himself, he... he really did look kind of cute.

_'Damn it... why does this feel like a really crappy romance novel? We're supposed to be a pair of Hunters, not... not me getting all cute and bashful over my friend... who's trying to be polite. Who saved my ass... who doesn't expect anything from me.. who actually wants to see me smile.._' Her mind betrayed her, as she thought of one of his sweetest moments for her: The time in the lunchroom when she'd gotten stuck in a detention after class, and lost out on her favorite cupcake.. only for him to put down two of them that he'd snuck off the lunch line. Not just one for her, but one for himself he'd given up for her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but then she realized Hisode wasn't looking at her, but studying the pile next to them... and the fact that it was swaying, rather dangerously.

"Uhh... Yang, I think... I think that we should-" was all that came out before the pile suddenly gave an ominous groan, before the mountain of metal trash pitched downward, an avalanche of metal aimed right for them!

"OH SHIT! RUN!" Hisode's words were fast, but the metal was faster, already too close for them to escape what would be certain death... until she felt his arms wrap around her body and pull them both to the side, before he booked it as fast as he could. For all the speed Ruby had, the blonde had to admit that she'd be hard pressed to be this reactive to the danger around them.

His eyes seem to narrow, focusing toward one side of the junk-valance. She felt his aura pushing his legs, slamming his feet down over the traveling metal. It was disorienting, to feel the jostle and bumping of the movement while the force of his Aura, which normally acted as a shield, worked more like a spring, but not nearly as much as Kamohoa's did. This was more controlled... almost like it wasn't so much running as it was flowing over the dangerous terrain under them. As Hisode pushed his leg one last time, they leapt out of the way of the toppling metal. His body pushed both of them against a wooden fence, as the surge of would-be death sailed past JUST behind his legs, a stray sheet almost cutting through his ankles as he held them to safety.

"Whoa... Gods above, that would have... Yang, are you alright?" Hisode's face looked into hers, as she glanced at the metal and sighed in relief, nodding.

"Yea, I think that guy doesn't know how to st...to stack..." Suddenly, she became aware of how close they were. His left leg was right between her legs, and her leg, in turn, was between his. One hand had pushed against the fence, holding him above her, while his other hand held her waist tightly, but not uncomfortably. It felt almost natural, in this position. The two were suddenly aware of how close they were, when their eyes met and widened... and then...

"Whoa...! Second time he's saved her life!"

"Well, I suppose that is one way to bring two people together..."

The two froze in shock, blushes slowly crossing over their faces as they tilted their heads toward the source of the voices... and right at the shocked or resigned faces of the rest of their teams, as well as Team JNPR.

"...Uh... hi, guys...?"

* * *

**Remember to leave a follow, favorite, and a constructive review if you want! Have a lovely day!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"I do apologize, Hisode... again. If you'd just hear us out, we could gladly explain-"

"Please... stop... talking. I don't want to discuss last week. I don't want to focus on it."

"Come on, man, just talk to us! So we got a little curious about you and Yang, and came along as moral-"

"As leader of Team BCKM, I am ending this conversation NOW," Hisode said firmly, his eyes locked ahead, as the other students on the field trip walked around the trio. JNPR, with a slightly green-looking Jaune, moved to the front, walking in step with Miss Goodwitch ahead of them. Team RWBY, meanwhile, walked behind them, which left Hisode feeling the burn of a gaze on his neck. He could only hope it wasn't...

His glance back proved his point, when Ruby's own gaze met his and she grinned happily... too happily. She then moved to stand by a glowing, and glowering, Yang, who looked at her sister with an even deeper scowl. The girl looked... angry was too soft a word. It'd been bad enough to have the large group of their comrades staring at them during a moment of confusion and flustered faces. Then... THEN had come the giggles from both Ruby AND Nora. The two had been relentless, their faces full of impish glee as they watched the two try and climb past the rush of the clunking metal.

It was only later, as they climbed over the parts, did they realize that the "scrap-alanche" had been nothing more than a few heavy looking car frames and some sheet metal... something they could both have avoided with ease. And with how much her face had turned red, Hisode knew that Yang was angry with him. Not that she shouldn't be. It was because of his instinct to protect her that had landed them into the rumor mills, with many people saying how they were a couple. It was, of course, impossible, they were just friends. Nothing more...

Nothing more...

The thought pushed itself to the fore front of his mind, as he stuck his hands into his pockets. The hands covered in bandages, the hands that, if someone saw, they would know he was a freak. They would find him horrible, disturbing, untrustable. It was why he only felt comfortable when he worked on his new projects. Ever since the failure that was their "date", Hisode hadn't dared to approach Yang, for fear of upsetting her. In fact, throughout the entire week, he'd only been to classes, while ignoring... everyone. He'd let his team have their fun, but he was not going to let them see how much embarrassment he had.

The only time he couldn't escape was during the lunch periods, and then the three teams would crowd around each other and eat animatedly, save for only Hisode, who kept gaze on his food, and Yang, who would shoot glares at whoever asked about how she felt about "the cute date" went, before delving into her food and shooting a look at him. He could feel the heat of her gaze when she looked at him. That and because Kamohoa would constantly buck and nudge the side of his body, trying to make him look up.

He did it once, and the look on Yang's face was enough to chill him to the bone. She looked directly into his eyes, like she was going to claw his face off.

He didn't blame her, honestly. It was his fault the date went so poorly.

_'Scrapyard... Of ALL the places in Vale, a club, an arcade, a formal dinner, you pick... a scrapyard. Well, aren't you just so gods-blessed smart? Guh... got dressed all fancy, figuring I'd take her to a lunch or something, but noooooo, gotta just dig your hole that much deeper, don't you, you stupid moron...'_ Hisode's mind repeated the mantra of insults over and over, pushing more and more of a sickly feeling into his stomach. He didn't even dare to look up, only stopping as Ms. Goodwitch handed out the glass jars to the groups. Taking two for himself, he looked at the two not-as-down teammates he had.

"Right... Kamohoa and Osirius, you two handle your own tree, I'm... I'm going to go crack mine alone," he muttered softly, before sluggishly wandering off to a spot out of the clearing toward one of the trees further off from the group. As he went to tap one of the trees, he saw Team CNDL, with their leader Cardin limping still. He'd survived with his groin mostly intact, but there had been some sort of joint dislocation near his pelvis. Apparently, he overheard in the rumor mill, Cardin would not be able to partake in sexual positions save for laying down on a bed and letting someone ELSE have control for the rest of his life.

_'Sucks to be him... and double sucks to be me,'_ he thought viciously, as he began to tap the thin tool into the tree's trunk, uncapping one of the jars lazily... only to feel as some of the sap smeared itself over his bandages.

It seemed as though Lady Luck was angry with him too.

* * *

Yang was pissed.

Not that it wasn't hard to do so. In fact, her dad often told her how she had to keep a leash on her anger. It wasn't her fault that she found certain things to be absolutely infuriating. It was just that those specific things, such as getting a hair cut, a grope-happy boy who didn't understand that she was not in the mood, or that her motorcycle was not "a tricycle with a cute paint job". However this particular batch of anger of hers stemmed from what had to be the worst thing about dealing with both her sister, and her partner.

Ruby continually asked if she liked Hisode, and when the answer she got wasn't what she expected, she would pick and poke and prod and tear apart the answers and needle the blonde with more and more questions. She was a sweet, innocent girl... when she wasn't the most gods-awful pain in the ass! Every single day, she'd tried to get yang to open up about the damn "date" they'd been on. The questions that never ended, the smirks that spoke of her "approval", the giggles at jokes that made no sense... She might have made the occasional bad pun, but this was cruel and unusual punishment!

Blake, on the other hand, was so, SO much more devious. She would wait for an opening, when the blonde was exhausted, when she would feel herself about to fade into dream land, and then she would ask what the brawler thought of something inane... THEN follow that up with a question of, "You looked happy on your date, but are you sure you should be ignoring him?" or some such line of aggravation. It wasn't even like she WAS ignoring him!

She'd tried to talk to him, but before she could, Ruby would pester her about how the date (_it was NOT a date, why did she keep thinking it like that?_) had looked so cute, or that they should go on another one, since all the other guys had been so picky or rude or-. And that is when she'd snap at the red-themed reaper, causing her to shut up. However, this would only make Yang feel even more sick to her stomach... and that would be when Hisode chose to finally look at her, right as she felt the acrid burn in her stomach grow too strong. He'd see the look on her face and instantly, he'd shut down and looked away. Even now, she could see the ashamed look in his face, and she knew why.

He felt like crap for how it ended so poorly.

She didn't blame him, however. Hell, after they'd gotten out of the Scrapyard, they'd gone with the rest of their teams, and JNPR, to eat at a nice little diner, though the one who ended up paying was Weiss, who looked especially proud of herself for being able to afford such large diets for a group of 11 people. It had been a shock for the staff, especially considering how Kamohoa had broken into a small argument over Osirius about whether drinking was fine off campus, if it was too early, and if age should really be considered for what they were training to do.

Still, seeing her friend, her Pun-Comrade in arms, looking so distraught... it was kind of sad. He looked so much nicer when he smiled. Nora, his ever bouncy sister, shot her a glance, as if asking for something. Something she knew she could offer, if only he wouldn't bolt off on her. Not that he did, but he rarely hung out with his team, due to them apparently pestering their leader as well, from what little she heard ahead of her. As his team hung out with their teams, it quickly became obvious he was avoiding everyone, mostly by sitting in the garage and rebuilding Cin.

"Yang, you alright?" Ruby's voice broke through her thoughts, as the blonde glanced over. For once, Ruby's grin was not to be found, replaced with a geniune look of concern. It was actually kind of cute, even after all the irritation she'd caused. Yang's own face broke into a smile, the first one in a week, as she nodded.

"Yea, just... thinking about why Hisode is down. I mean, he hasn't really spoken to anyone, but that COULD be, my dear little sister, SOMEONE keeps bringing up the 'date' that we had," she said, air-quoting the word as she spoke it. Once again, her sister took up the most bashful, innocent look she could muster, and smiled innocently.

"Hehh... s-sorry... It's just, you've never seemed so happy to be friends with a guy before... I honestly thought that maybe you were going to be going out with him... Guess I went a little overboard... Forgive me?" The way she glanced at her, Yang had no choice but to sigh and nod, giving Ruby a hug, while Weiss and Blake watched from the side.

"Right... well, perhaps one of us should go over and talk to Hisode, himself. I would volunteer, but I believe that the best choice would be the one whom shows the most concern," the Ice Queen said, casting a glance toward Yang with a small, knowing smile on her face. Blake, in response, only crossed her arms and nodded, giving the smallest, briefest of smiles. It was only worse when Ruby, seeing that she was forgiven... pulled out her Puppy Dog Eyes.

Gods, she hated when the girl did that, it was SO unfair.

"Fine, fine... But no more comments about us. Hisode and I are just friends, alright?"

"For now..." came the response, as Blake flinched when Yang turned toward her, making her smile slightly tighten.

* * *

"Hisode, dude... we're sorry, ok?"

The teen in question, still draining more sap into one of the two jars that sat at his feet, glanced over as Kamohoa and Osirius took up spots around him. They each had one jar full of red sap, and stood around him as he kept hammering the tree for more of the required fluid.

"...I forgive you. Just... Why guys? I just wanted to go some place and pick up some parts for my next project. Why did you feel the need to pick and spy around us?" He kept his tone soft, but his eyes darted between the hole in the tree and the two teens around him. Kamohoa, giving a sigh, sat down next to him, rubbing his back.

"Because, esteemed leader of the "Head-Up-His-Ass" Club, we both see how you look at Yang. You're attracted to her. Had to make sure she wasn't gonna bust your ass open or fuck you over or something..." With that, the powder-blue Faunus leaned over to open one of the pockets he had, retrieving a small, silver-

"Oh good lord, really Kamohoa? A flask?! Are you 42 or 17?!" Osirius stood with his arms crossed, his tail flicking behind rather aggressively. "We came here to collect sap, not for you to sit down and drink yourself silly. We had to help carry you out of JNPR's room before, I would rather not have to carry you up several flights of steps."

"First off, flasks are fine. No one knows what goes into mine, so no one asks. Second off, stop berating my choice of drink. It's too damn hot out here to go without a drink-"

"We're not even at the tail end of summer!"

"THIRD, we're also here to apologize to our leader, so he'll finally talk to us, and stop spending time in the garage, without eating a Gods-damned thing! Seriously, Hide, I get that you're not much for eating... ever... but come on, man... eat a tuna sandwich with us again, for the love of all that's-"

"Actually, I prefer ham, myself. Tuna's too salty for me," Hisode finally said, a small smile forming over his face. The two others looked at each other, then at him, before a collective sigh filled the air. "Kind of silly, to be honest... I had to use my Semblance just to avoid metal... god, that was so pathetic..."

Osirius, however, had a confused look this time, as he tilted his head.

"Wait, you were using a Semblance? Looked to me like you were just using your natural Aura as a regular boost to your energies."

"...Uh, what?" Hisode and Kamohoa turned to look up at the taller teen, sporting identical looks on their faces.

"You know, you just used aura to sense danger, and also used small bursts of it for your legs. In the Atlas Milita, it's more common for older students to do it, but the effect is often very out of control. I was just shocked to see how skilled you are with it... That certainly didn't seem like a Semblance to me..."

For a moment, the violet-haired teen blinked, half-tempted to scratch his chin, but the smell of the sap reminded him of that little idea being a bad one. Lifting the jar back in place, Hisode only sighed.

"But... that's impossible. I was just doing it without even thinking... How would you even know if it is a Semblance or not? Is there like a clue to revealing it?"

"Actually, no. I've seen the process done by several teachers of mine. One of them used a special set of skis, which propelled him through not just snow, but rock as well. The basis of the idea is that by forcing Aura through your-" and just like that, Osirius launched into one of his scientific speeches. The other two merely just sat there, listening silently, until the third member of their party saw the glazed over look in their eyes.

"You two weren't even listening... bah, fine. Ignore me." At first, he gave a slight pout, joining Kamohoa to sit in silence, watched as he sighed and went back to work. But as Kamohoa lifted the flask up, he blinked and noticed the sap covering his arms.

"Oof, gonna have to consider those fuckers done. Seriously, I don't think that sap ever comes out."

"Wait, really? Aw, son of a-"

"Hey, guys."

The new voice that came over, one that was calmer than it should have been, froze Hisode mid line. Kamohoa and Osirius, glancing behind him, gave a pair of matching smiles, before silently stepping out of his view. He wanted to ask for them to stay, for them not to abandon their leader... to curse them for their betrayal and condemn them to the bottomless pits of an abyss!

Yang's eyes were burning a hole into his back. For what felt like an eternity, he crouched down, the jar of sap now trickling down to his shoes. He'd be sticking to everything, it seemed, as he gulped back his nerves. He could FEEL her ready to get angry... so he turned around as fast as he could.

"Yang, I'm so sor- BEHIND YOU!"

The blonde turned quickly, right in time to see a trio of jars sailing right at them. Seeing them full of stick, red-colored sap, he jumped to a full standing and slipped in the path, taking several large impacts to his chest, head, and even his leg. The glass, delicate as it was, shattered and coated him in the thick, overly-sweet smelling sap. Cracking one eye open through the goo, he saw Cardin rearing back with a massive box in his hands. Instantly, the chestnut-haired teen threw the box right at their feet, causing it to spring open. The boys booked it, running, while Yang, her face twisted in rage, could only scream as the mass of bugs flew from the box.

Black with a stinger as long as his own hand, the Rapier Wasp was a dangerously vicious little bastard. They could fly for hours, they would eat any sweet thing they could get their legs on and they had a dislike of only three things: Water, Fire, and invaders. The massive insect's horrific hum was the only warning, as Hisode glanced to Yang, then himself... before he ran to one side.

"Go! Tell Miss Goodwitch what happened!" As he yelled, his feet pushing him off in a random direction, he heard the ugly buzz of the wasps that rushed toward the smell. Hisode knew that, while one or two was bad, what he probably was hearing was a FULL HIVE. The toxin alone of the stings would leave him unable to fight for 2 weeks, and then there'd be the chance of infection, which was another 3 weeks of recovery if he did. It was going to be awful, stuck in a hospital room. That was why he led them away. No use making everyone suffer, if they were after only one person. One that was covered in a sweet-smelling sap from a tree he'd had to cut into more than three times.

Every step he took, more of the leaves under him crunched and slapped into his legs. It was getting harder to run. He needed to find-

Below a steep hill, with the water racing down, a ravine flowed quickly. It was a risk, but he had to take it. Jumping to slide down the pathway, Hisode almost stumbled over, before launching himself into the water head first... and immediately, he felt his head crack on a rock. His Aura, thankfully, kicked up to block the damage, but it still hurt to hit his head on such a hard surface. Above him, as he struggled to keep himself under the water, he saw the hornets swarm around the surface where he'd plunged. The current, thankfully, was able to carry him. However, the sticky sap refused to come off in the water, resulting in him having to rip the leaves off his pants, as well as his feathered faulds.

_'Crap... cold water... hard to keep breath...!' _

Breaking the surface with a gasp, coughing and inhaling the sweet relief of air, Hisode reached one hand up to the ledge, pulling against the grass as hard as he could. The roots tore as he pulled himself free, grunting and grumbling as he glanced around. The wasps, seeing their target had fled, had dispersed into the forest, most likely to find a new place to form a hive. It gave him a chance to breath, to feel the burn in his lungs from holding his breath slowly fade...

But that was when he realized something: The current had dragged him much faster, and more aggressively than it should have. The water was only deep enough to just bury his form under the water, and yet, it had carried enough force to have dragged him along. What's more, the current had picked up even more the moment he'd slipped into the water... as if...

His eyes slowly turned to the water, as he heard the splash. Praying he was wrong, the violet and sap-coated teen struggled to pull away, only for said-sap to continue clinging to the ground. He wasn't, however. He wasn't wrong, especially as the smooth head rose from the surface.

It had a spade-like head, was the first thing he noticed. There were no eyes, nor did it need them. It could SMELL him, the way its nose flicked and twitched. The mask-like bones that covered its face might have been it's only other color, curling around its entire head like a hardsteel bandanna. There were, however, a pair of red, glowing bands that started near what could only be its nose and reaching toward the mask. Where the mask and "band" met, the band cut through to the inky dark flesh. Its body was almost flat, but that was only temporary, as the ridge of the Grimm back slowly rose upward. As he tried to pull free, he saw one of its... he couldn't call it a wing, or an arm. It was just a long, smooth limb with a wing-like flap that had three large fat, wiggling digits. The digits, themselves, had thick suckers. The back legs, which climbed out of the water behind it, possessed the same suckers, but not the flaps. A tail that was flattened out like its head, but much more rounded. At the end of its tail, one single jagged stinger that stuck upward like a horrible imitation of a horn, and with the same bands like on its head. If Hisode had not been watching carefully, he would have thought the creature seemed to possess two heads. Thankfully, it didn't, but it did have suckers that could easily tear his skin off. But the biggest sucker was its horrific mouth. Rows and rows and rows of teeth, within a long tube of awful, ugly sucking sounds.

The creature rose upward, no longer choosing stealth, but now it wanted to battle... to DEVOUR. Worse, he could hear as its organs shifted, slurping and reforming to give the nightmarish thing more of a body, before it fully stood on its two back legs. Easily, it stood as tall as an Ursa would, but the biggest trouble was that mouth... That horrible, suckling hole that drooled and opened wider, exposing folds that would most likely drag him whole into its stomach, rows and rows of horrible, dagger-sized, sharp teeth that would trap him and prevent him from escaping. The Grimm gave a gurgle, tilting its head, before rushing forward at speeds faster than its mass would imply.

Hisode barely dodged out of the way, barely able to avoid the slurping mouth. The moment it's head crashed into the ground, the tail lashed outward, ready to gore into his stomach. It was only by the grace of a backward flip that he dodged getting a stab through his gut.

"Ah, hell...!" Pulling out Ebony and Ivory, he flicked the blades out, feeling the handles snap into place, as he hooked his fingers into the trigger guards. Taking aim with the lighter of the twins, he began to fire his shots, gritting his teeth... only for the beast to flip its head over its own body and almost stare right at him with those horrible bands. A deep, slow slurping growl broke from its throat, as he gulped and stepped back slowly. He could almost feel the hatred bubbling inside, as whatever organs the creature possessed shifted and twisted under its skin. The flesh of the Grimm followed, disgusting sounds of popping coming from inside as the beast almost twisted every joint around to face him once more.

"...Oh, I am so not going to be able to eat tonight. This is officially the most disgusting Grimm I've ever seen." The beast, whatever classification it was, gurgled and growled louder, slowly stood back up, forcing those massive arms wide open and staring down at Hisode, at its prey... and then he saw the thing's body shifting colors, molding its natural form into the shade of red and brown as the ground around him, before totally vanishing from sight.

"...Oh... well, I think I can say this: BALLS...!"

* * *

**5 minutes earlier**

"You think they'll be alright?" Kamohoa lifted the flask up to his lips, taking a sip again. He'd rarely gotten a use out of the thing, for all the convenience it offered to him, so getting to use it on a field trip felt doubly enjoyable. A good drink could be relaxing in it's own right... Of course, with the nagging presence of both Osirius, AND Goodwitch, he felt the need to stuff the small container back on the inside of his jacket, patting it for good measure.

"In my personal opinion... I believe they will be. They've just got to talk things out. It happens from time to time, as we saw during initiation..." Osirius rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing with the motion. "However, I also feel the need to say this: You know as well as I do that students should not be drinking at all, especially-"

"Would you quit your bitching? It's not like I'm drowning myself in liquor, it's just a nip to help me feel better. You'd feel good too after a nice little taste of some of the good stuff... Now, about Ya-ARGH!"

Kamohoa went down hard, his face slamming into the red grass hard enough to make him inhale a wad of the crimson-shaded dirt. Coughing and spitting it out, his sharpened teeth actually making it worse due to how much he'd just chewed into, the bandaged teen turned around with a spit, about to yell... when he saw the Buxom brawler standing with her eyes flaring red, hair alight, and an angry look on her face.

"Hisode... Rapier Wasps... Cardin threw... sap... " huffing and puffing, the girl looked at the two. With a frown, Kamohoa looked to Osirius and gave a grim look.

"You, go get Goodwitch. Yang, you get Hisode, and pull his head out of whatever shithole he falls into. I'll get the others to either beat the shit out of Cardinal-Cocksucker, or cover Yang. Whatever... ehhh... Fuck, I dunno! Just... FUCK!" With that so skillfully said, the bandaged teen bolted forward, letting the others handle their tasks.

So much for a lazy, relaxing time.

* * *

Yang raced toward the spot, following the signs of where Hisode had run: Sap, thick and clumping up the dust, had formed a reliable, and also sweet-smelling, trail for her to follow. As she approached, however, she heard a gunshot. Followed by a few more.

_'There's no way he'd fire at just some bugs... Damn it, what the hell is it?!'_ Yang raced forward, Ember Celica's guns clicking into place as she ran. She had to move only a minute more when a voice rang out behind her.

"Yang! It's us! We're coming to help-"

"BALLS!"

From behind, Ruby and the rest of RWBY, as well as JNPR and Kamohoa skidded to a stop. The sound echoed nearby, and from the sound of it, it was trouble. The group turned to look at each other, before racing toward the edge of a hill. What they saw, however, was Hisode just turning in place, his guns turning faster than his own body. The paranoid look on his face as he backed up slowly did nothing to allieve their fears. In fact, it caused Ruby to move closer.

"Hisode! Are you alright?! Did the wasps-" was all she got out, before he turned to the group and started waving at them... but no less comforting.

"GO! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT IT TURNED INVISIBLE!"

"What!? What are you-"

"EVERYONE DOWN NOW!" With that, Hisode pointed both of his weapons at them, causing the group to flinch and duck, right as he fired two shots. From above them, leaning on a cliff, a horrific, gurgling screech filled the air, as they turned to stare at the now exposed Grimm. Its head, which had somehow melded into the side of the rock, was slowly appearing from it's place, before more and more of it's body began to appear. As one, the group jumped down the slope, rushing to stand with Hisode as he cracked open the Silver-white of his gun, pushing bullets as fast as he could into the champer.

"What in the name of Dust was THAT!?" Weiss' eyes glanced at him, as Hisode pointed his gun toward where it'd been, now vanished.

"I have no idea. Whatever it was, it just... it seemed to be in the water, and then it just... I don't know! It's some... weird... Leech thing..! I've never seen it in any books, it's almost like a new species! Look, we can name it whatever LATER. It's got a damn sword on its tail, and it's trying to eat or stab or something! Look, I tried to shoot it, but the bullets bounced off the top half, but when I just shot its bottom half before it got you guys, it seemed to have an effect. So we've got to flip it over somehow... Whatever you do, don't let that thing grab you. Those fingers looked like octopus pads, and they might tear your skin off!" Hisode's detailed explanation worked for the group, as he glanced around carefully, looking more than slightly nervous.

Immediately, Yang pressed her back to Hisode's, while Ren and Nora and Jaune and Pyrrha followed suit. Kamohoa lifted up his weapons, Rocksalt, in their shotgun forms, twisting his arms around himself as Ruby came to press herself against his back, her rifle aimed at the other direction. Weiss, meanwhile, pushed herself up to Blake with a worried look on her face, as the bow-girl frowned deeply.

"Alright, we need a plan... We need a way to lure this thing out... but that damn thing keeps hiding itself...! We need to keep it locked in place," Yang said under her breath, her teeth gritted as she turned with Hisode. His body shifted as he spun to aim at a cracking twig, while the others did their best to cover any place it would appear... but nothing happened.

The air was still. No birds cawed, no animals moved. Nothing lived in the red-colored forest, nothing dared to bre-

"YANG! GET DOWN!" Hisode's body twisted to one side, but even as he did so, she saw it too: The beast had taken to hiding on the ledge by the river, and when they'd all taken their eyes off of the area for a second too long, it charged at the closest target.

It charged right for her, a gutteral screech breaking through it's massive maw. The two dodged to the side, but she couldn't move fast enough to avoid the thick spike on it's tail, as it sailed-

"NO! YANG!"

She felt his arm pull her away, his own body once more acting as a shield. Except that now, it wasn't a jar of sticky sap that would crash on impact. It wasn't just some bit of goo that would mess her hair up for hours in the shower. It was a massive spike that, with the most horrific sound, slammed into Hisode's gut, pinning him to the tree with a wet, horrible **SNIKT!**

It was like time froze. His face was twisted into an agonized, painful scream of silence, his eyes wide with shock and horror. Hisode's hands already gripped the large spike that had impaled itself right through his belly. The Grimm seemed to just stand there, glaring at him with those ugly bands that could be recognized for eyes. Nora's eyes were as wide as her mouth, trapped in a scream that no one could hear. Ren's own face turned the color of chalk as he stared at the scene. And then, time went forward... as Hisode lifted his gun up, right toward the underside of the creature's tail.

"B...Bullseye..."

With a single shot, point blank to the underside, he fired, and with it came the entire tail. Immediately, the creature's horrified screeching and roaring grated on the ears, as it raced around in a circle, dragging a mass of black blood trailing behind it. Yang, however, could only see the color red, as the most enraged scream broke out of her throat.

Charging forward, she felt her first punch, an upper cut, cleave through the monster's underside, sending whatever seemed to fill the monster's body out of the cut end, spilling more foul-smelling creations that rapidly dissolved. Her second punch ripped the monster's head clean off, sending it flying sky high, as her third and final punch utterly ripped through the middle of the beast. As it toppled in half, she turned her gaze over to Hisode, who's eyes were half closed and his head rocked up and down.

"No... No no no no nononononNO! HISODE NO!" Her body almost flew over the ground, trying to catch him as the spike finally released its hold on the tree as it dissolved away. His body almost crashed to the ground, as Yang barely caught him in time to slap her hands over the wound. However, as she did so, she felt her knees becoming slick with sticky redness from the other side. Through and through, the stinger had impaled through him, and it was getting harder to stop the blood.

"Y...Yang..."

"Shut up! Shut up, right now! Goodwitch is coming, and... And you're gonna be fine! Stop talking!' Around her, she could feel as the others raced forward, each trying to reach out and, in some way, help the teen. His face was rapidly losing color, turning as pale as Weiss' own skin was, but it was not the natural color, but rather one of dying, of life that oozed out from his form.

Nora's screaming had died into unintelligent blubbering, as she clawed at him weakly. Ren's own grip was on her waist, holding her to him, his eyes sparkling with the hint of tears. Ruby and Kamohoa stood in shock, staring at the blood, with the boy looking utterly broken and speechless, as the red-hooded reaper clung to his waist for support. Jaune, meanwhile, was panicking and trying to help by tearing open a first aid box he'd brought with him, as Pyrrha dove her hands in as well to reach for compresses. Weiss, frozen still, could only stare at the blood that pooled under his body, and his fingers, while Blake looked on in sadness. But when she reached out to touch Yang's shoulder, she was pushed away with a shove.

Hisode's mouth cracked open once more, his eyes clouding as he looked right at the buxom brawler.

"Y...Yang..."

"I said SHUT UP! DON'T YOU LISTEN?! DAMN IT, YOU'RE MAK-" was all she got out, before Hisode's hand reached up to cover her mouth. She stared, trying to blink away the moisture in her eyes, while his gave the slightest tinkle of warmth, before he smiled softly.

"...Take... good care of Ren and Nora..." And then his hand fell.

"H...Hisode? Hey, come on now... this isn't time for jokes! Wake up! Hisode, I swear to Gods, you're... Hey! WAKE UP! HISODE! HISODE!" She shook him, slapping his face and gasping for air, watching with horror as the last of the color seemed to fade out of his face. Jaune's own hands trembled as he tried to push his hands away from Yang's own numb ones, pressing down tightly over the wound.

"No! No no no! Come on, you bastard, wake up! I SAID WAKE... up...?" Jaune's voice seemed to fade, but Yang didn't care, as she tried to find someway to save his life, to keep him from slipping away forever. She only became aware of a light at that point, as Aura seemed to flow around his entire body.

Turning to the side, she saw as Jaune's hands, glowing, before the light seemed to web around his body, coating the wound in even stronger light... before slowly starting to fade away.

"Th...this... is this my...?" Jaune's voice was a breath, but as he spoke, the light began to fade. Try as he could, he couldn't get his Aura to flow like it had before. Even then, they could tell from his color that Hisode was alive. Yang, thankful as she was, could only pick him up in her arms and shoot to her feet.

"Come on, we need to get to Miss Goodwitch, fast...!"

* * *

Yang sat in the chair, her legs drawn up to her chest. Both arms were wrapped around her legs, as next to her, Hisode lay in the cot. Whatever Jaune had done, it'd saved his life... but even then, according to Goodwitch, he's still suffered from massive blood loss, which they had to deal with first. It took hours, but after that, the medical officer of Beacon explained the situation to everyone: Hisode had lived... barely.

Whatever the creature was, it had a potent neurotoxin that had almost stopped his heart. The stab he'd taken to the stomach was nearly fatal as it was, and the toxin had almost made it worse. Had Jaune not healed him, he would have died in the forest from the loss of all his blood and from the poison combined. It did nothing to relieve any of them, especially not Yang. She'd been helpless, just covering up one of the holes, while the others had been unable to think of something, ANYTHING, to save his life. Even now, he was laying in a medically induced coma to save his life. They'd been unable to cut the bandages around his arms, and so the blood transfusion was stuck onto his chest for the quickest route.

It was why, instead of her bed, she had chosen to sit in the chair, watching as his chest rose and fell slowly. It wasn't fair... Hisode had gone out of his way to keep everyone else safe. He'd been the one to shoot the thing, distracting it, instead of running to get help and possibly leading it toward the other students. He'd been fighting an unknown thing, and for what? Just to end up throwing it away for her? Now, he was lying in a bed, recovering from a near-death experience. He'd risked everything to protect other people, he was trying to HELP them, to save HER life when she'd been distracted. And that monster had almost ended his life with one fatal stab.

All because of her. It was like Summer Rose, all over again, but this time she'd SEEN the body. This time, she'd witnessed the bloody stab through the gut. She'd heard it, watched him fight against death itself, just to give them all a chance to attack the Grimm and prevent it from hiding.

Yang Xiao-Long, the toughest brawler of Beacon, pulled herself into as tight a ball as she could, and begged for one thing, and she pleaded with all her might.

"Don't let him die. Please. Don't let him die because I was too damn stupid."

* * *

**So, quick little note: Yes, I've given Jaune's Semblance away MUCH earlier... but that doesn't mean he'll always have it. I'd like for that to become something that Pyrrha helps him use, along with fighting. That way, we can see an even stronger and better Jaune along side the other heroes! But now, with one of them in recovery, how are the others taking it? Find out, next time, on RWBY: Damnaged!**

**Leave a Favorite, Follow, and Constructive Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Kra-KOOM! Kra-KOOM!**

Kamohoa's shots fired into the last of the Combat Droids, his eye half lidded as he stumbled at the recoil. The end result was that one shot flew into its torso, but the other went wildly over the rectangular head. A display showed the droid's damage was at 59%, which instantly shut down after he retaliated by swinging out Rocksalt's ax blade and cutting the droid's face-plate. With a rapid, fading beep, the machine fell down to the ground to the ground. Immediately, the cleaning droids went to work picking up the human-sized dummy machine, as the bandaged Faunus walked over to a ledge and grabbed the half-empty bottle of alcohol. It barely gave him a smolder in the slightest as he chugged down the contents with a grimace. Pulling his arm back, he threw the bottle, stumbling in place, before shooting down the container with a blast from the shotgun.

"FUCK!" The curse was out of his mouth as he shot, blasting shards of the glass down onto the floor before the cleaning droids returned to clean the mess up as well. Leaning onto the edge, he glared holes at the center of the stage, trying to hold in everything. The spreading droplets of alcohol formed dark circles within his gaze, dark circles so full of waste and loss. Just as he'd seen happen to Hisode.

It lasted only 2 seconds more before he screamed in anger and threw his ax at the floor, creating a small hole in the metal work.

"GODS FUCKING DAMN IT ALL!" Grabbing his other ax, he stumbled over to the target-selecting computer, sloppily typing in the command for more droids. He had to fight, to keep the anger burning away whatever he drank. It helped to hide back the hunger gnawing into his stomach, as well as the other burn that dwelled within his head. The response he recieved, however, was only for the computer to give an error sound. Once more, he stamped his fingers down, firmer this time with more intent, feeling his fingers almost break the screen as he tapped. Once more, the computer gave an error.

"FUCK YOU!" His fist slammed down on the console, trying to force the error to cancel itself. The buzzer refused, however, and the computer switched back to the target selection. His hand gripping the ax in hand tighter, Kamohoa typed in a different command, choosing for hard-light holographic targets. The computer gave a ding of acceptance, even as he walked over to the row of bottles. As the program began to run, his hand immediately curled around the neck of one bottle, his thumb pushing the cork off. Taking a swallow into his mouth, the teen glared at the blue-glowing targets, burning into his irises.

"How many more gods-damned times do I have to let people suffer... HOW MANY MORE, YOU FUCKERS!" His eyes glared at the roof, as he threw the bottle down in a horrific crashing noise. "How many more people do I have to lose!? Why do you have to hurt the people who don't deserve it?! He wasn't just a leader, HE WAS MY FRIEND! And you fucks! YOU decide to try and kill him!? FUCK YOU! You come down here and face me yourselves, you COCK SUCKERS! He's not even a freak like I am! You want to take someone, take it out on me, I'VE GOT THE SCARS ALREADY!" His breath shook with rage, as he glared upwards, past the ceiling to the "great" heavens above. "ANSWER ME, YOU FUCKERS! WHY!?"

His hands, one gripping the ax, the other clenched into a tight fist, shook with white hot, boiling rage. He wanted to kill the Grimm, all of them, and he wanted to find the one who caused this pain. But the worst was that, the actual cause of it all was already dead... The damn... whatever it was. The Suckler, that's a great name for what those things were. Because they were a bunch shit-sucking bastards, and one of them had almost taken the life of Hisode.

Grabbing hold of the other ax with his free hand, he wretched it free from the screeching metal before turning to the computer. If he couldn't handle the droids, he would turn his attention to another source, to those half-baked holographics that barely did anything beyond move or stand still for a beginner. Upon his vision focusing, however, he could see Ruby standing there, her face staring at him with concern. That cloying look of pity that he almost despised with every fiber of his body.

"Kamohoa...?"

"Don't, Red. I'm... I'm fine," he said, his legs stumbling as he moved past her toward the console, ready to program it with his scroll for the next arena. "Just fucking grand. I've got booze, I've got battle, and I've got all the time I need tonight. I'm fine." His hand raised to plug the scroll in. It was a safety measure, but it was worthless. Who cared what your aura was like when you were fighting holograms? Ruby's hand slid over to grab his wrist, wrestling him to face her. She was not very strong, but as unsteady as he was, she easily pushed him to look at her.

"Kamohoa, it's fine to be angry. You don't need to hold it in. It's alright to feel sad," she said, looking up at him with those beautiful silver eyes. His own eyes, locked into cold steel, almost wanted to look back. He wanted to see those orbs and feel comfort, but he couldn't. Not without letting her see the weakness, the ugly fear and sadness and rage that made him disgusting to his own mind. Pulling his wrist away, he turned and gave a growl of irritation.

"Little Red, I am FINE. Stop trying to tell me I'm sad, or hurt, or whatever. I don't NEED to feel anything. I'm FINE." He had to be. He couldn't give up and let the pain consume him. It was a disgrace to those who were gone. But Hisode wasn't gone, he was... No, he was not gone. There did not need to be more. He spun, and pushed the scroll-

Her hand caught him this time, and then she was against his chest, her arms wrapped around him.

"Stop saying you're fine! You're angry, and you hate the Grimm! I know you do! I know you're angry that Hisode is... is not doing alright. You couldn't have stop-"

"DAMN IT, RUBY, I SAID I WAS FINE! Why do you feel the need to do this!? I'm not crying, I'm not sad, I'm just wanting to drink and kill shit! NOW LET ME GO, GODS DAMN IT!"

His voice was finally back into a rage, as he tried to pull her off. Her arms, however, locked tightly around him, preventing his escape. Her face buried deeper into his bare stomach, as her fingers dug into his jacket. His fingers couldn't wretch hers out of his fabric, and when her face lifted, she had tears running down her face. Her cheeks were red as her cloak, but not out of embarrassment. Instead, she spoke in a shaky voice.

"My mother died too! My mom died when I was so young! I know it hurts! I can barely remember her face sometimes! But don't do this! Don't bury yourself like this! My dad says that it's ok for men to cry, and for girls too! It's alright to-"

"LET ME GO, DAMN YOU!"

"NO!"

"Gods damn it, Ruby, I don't want this conversation!" He threw the axes down, now using all his strength to pull at her shoulders. Instead, she just pushed him back, and in his drunken state, he felt as his balance sent him falling onto his ass. In response, Ruby jumped onto him and began to punch his chest, as tears fell down her cheeks onto his face.

"Why is it you won't let anyone in!? Why do you have to be so dumb!? Why are you so against showing anything but this rude, nasty side of you!?"

"BECAUSE I HAVE TO! I CAN'T LET MY EMOTIONS CLOUD MY MIND EVER AGAIN!"

Ruby's face twisted into anger, the first time he'd ever seen her look that way. It was... it was both scary, and heartbreaking. More so the second when she kept punching her fists into his chest. It would have physically hurt more if she knew what she was doing, but the look in her face was the true dagger. Tears streamed down her cheeks more as she sniffed and gritted her teeth.

"Emotions don't cloud anything! They tell you you're alive! You don't think I don't miss my mom?! You don't think I feel sad!? You don't think I get scared!? That's why I want to be a Huntress, so I never have to see anyone suffer like that again, to keep everyone safe!" Her eyes locked into his, as she huffed and puffed, her lips turned into a deep, angry frown. "So why... WHY won't you let me help you?!"

"Ruby, damn it, just... get off me! Let me go!"

"Let me help you, Kamohoa! Let me in, so you can stop hurting!" And then her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him up, holding him to her shoulder. He tried to lift his hands, to push her away, but he felt the barriers in his mind breaking. Her gaze had ripped through to his heart, and now he was feeling it pour into him.

"Stop it... stop trying... stop..." He shut his eyes, trying to will them away... but then the tear rolled out of his eye. He didn't want them to boil out, but it was too late. Years and years of the anguish that had built up around him, forming that shield to stop the pain.. it turned inward and he couldn't stop.

For the first time in years, Kamohoa broke down and cried, his hands clenched into Ruby's hood, unable to hold back the pain.

* * *

Nora Valkyrie's arms clung to the pillow in her grasp, nails digging into the cotton as she stared at the floor.

It was difficult for her to remember feeling this sad, since her best-friend-and-amazing-fun-handsome-guy-not-together-together-but-together Ren had come into her life, along with her semi-brother, Hisode. The fact that the latter spent so much time trying to make HER life better, be it with buying her fresh pancakes to cheer her up, building a fire out in the middle of the woods while Ren cuddled her to keep her warm, or even trying to catch her a baby sloth for her birthday (he never did, but she didn't mind), it was proof that he was the best big brother she could have asked for.

Ren, his pink eyes half lidded as he stared at the wall, gave a silent sigh as his thoughts swirled. Turning over in the bed across from her, Ren glanced at the pink-themed girl, who looked at him in return and sniffed. She didn't want to cry, but it was... it was scary, to think that they could lose someone who'd been family for as long as they could remember. Sure, he was a bit shy, and he might not be as vocal as Nora, but when push came to shove, he was invincible... until now.

Nora's head dropped into the pillow as she felt a new wave of pain roll into her stomach. She hated, HATED the feeling. It was ugly, it was horrible, it told her things she never wanted to hear. She only wanted to hear the feelings of hunger, just long enough to try Ren's pancakes. She didn't even CARE if Hisode cooked for them again. Hell, she'd eat anything, even he burned the noodles, or if he made the eggs too smoky, or if the bacon was tough. She just wanted him SAFE. She wanted her brother back.

Her shoulder shook as she tried to hold them back, but then something slid over her shoulder, as Ren's body leaned into her own.

"He'll be ok, Nora," his voice cooly said to her, emotion hidden under the strength of his Semblance. She could have asked him to extend it to her, but she knew it wouldn't last... Ren was strong enough to mask it, but it wouldn't change what she felt later.

"I can't... I wasn't strong enough, Ren. I wasn't strong enough to protect him... What's wrong with me? I'm supposed to be strong... I... I..." Her head buried into his neck, as new tears flowed onto his skin. She sobbed harder, her hand clenched into his fabric. Ren's own hand slid over and held her, trying to hold as tightly as she was.

"You did your best, Nora... You... that thing was nothing we've ever been prepared for. For what happened, it's possible that things could have been much worse. Let us not forget that Hisode has always been resourceful, though.. Don't you remember when there was a pack of Beowolves when we were lost for 3 days? It was thanks to him, a tree branch, some animal bones, and that pack of jerky you didn't like that we survived. He'll come out of this... he will. I'm sure of it." The first time in a long time Ren had spoken so much.

In all honesty, it was actually rather soothing, but even then, Nora couldn't find it in herself to calm down. She just felt miserable, even more so for thinking about taking comfort in the words of her kinda-sorta-mega-ultra-huge-love-crush. She didn't want to sleep, she didn't want to cry, and she didn't want to think about her big brother, her adorable, shy brother who would listen to her whenever she went into a rant about pancakes or about her love for syrup. She especially, most of all didn't want to think about how his face looked, begging Yang to take care of them.

Why... why did he do that? Why didn't he just ask her to save him? Why did he have to be so dumb!? Why didn't he just move away? He was fast, and he was smart and he wasn't the kind of person who would just throw his life away! Her fingers dug into Ren's shoulder, as another drop rolled down her cheek, trying to clench back the fresh wave of newly burning tears. It wasn't fair to lose him... it really wasn't.

"Renny... Can we go see him... tomorrow?"

"Of course, Nora... Of course."

* * *

Osirius stood, silently, with his eyes staring upward, toward the star-lit sky. It had been 3 days since the events of Hisode's... injury. It was not fatal, it was not GOING to be fatal. His team leader would awaken soon, he would be leading them for another 4 years of training in schools, before they would go on to work as powerful huntsmen, protecting the world from the Grimm. He was going to survive, he was going to find affection with Yang, and he was going to stop looking so s-

_**'You know he's going to die. He's going to die, because you were too stupid, too slow, and too clumsy to find Goodwitch. If you weren't so preoccupied with watching out for Weiss,so worried about tripping over your fat tail, over being so absolutely WORTHLESS, you could have saved him. Instead, you let him suffer,'**_ the dark voice in his mind spoke, _**'and now? Now your little team leader, the pathetic filth that he is, will rot in a bed and become a memory... just like the others.'**_

His metal fingers immediately tightened around their grip on the railing, crunching the metal with an ease that spoke well of the augmented strength within them. The burning grip of anger could do nothing to halt the icy words that struck his mind. Images flashed before him, reminding him of the people who had scorned him for his heritage, for being a Faunus. His tail swung behind him, slowly running along the tiles of the floor as he resisted the hate burning inside. And yet, even as he did so, he saw something that stopped his mind, but for a better reason.

Down below, out of the training hall, Ruby Rose and Kamohoa Yale walked out. Or rather, Kamohoa stumbled with the younger girl supporting him by his arm. It was difficult to tell by their low voices, but as the teens walked, he could almost see a warm smile on Ruby's face as she held her arm around his waist. Kamohoa, meanwhile, only had his head hung low, stumbling side to side a bit and tripping over his feet. Perhaps they were doing better now... it was good. They made a good friendship, even if the latter of them was prone to the toxin that was alcohol. He'd seen the effects far, far too much to ever wish to taste it.

Staring at them, as Ruby carried him inside, Osirius felt a pang in his heart. One that had existed for years, one that he could not hope to stop. One that came without reason, but it would taunt him with it's feelings, with it's desires.. with the hopeless hole that it burned into his-

"Osirius? Why are you out so late?"

Her voice brought him out of his thoughts. So many times, he enjoyed hearing her say his name, as children. Now, as teenagers, her voice saying his name brought him an agony so delightful. Turning slowly, he looked to Weiss and smiled. Dressed in her usual garments, she'd pulled her beautiful white half-jacket tighter around her body. For most, it was a sign of cold. For her, it was a sign that she'd wanted to keep something out, or something in. In this case, it was not so difficult to tell what was going on in her mind.

"Weiss... I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I came out here to... to think," he said with a smile, slowly turning back to look over the forest, before pulling himself off the railing to sit back in a bench. However, what he didn't expect was to hear Weiss approach, then sit down next to him.

"...You've been thinking about Hisode too. Don't try to say you haven't, I know how you are." Even with the slightly cold attitude, he could sense the lightest of a smile under her breath. "...I must admit, even as foolish as he is, he... did save my teammate. I owe him that much. Ruby, of course, was worried sick about Yang and knowing her, she'll want to go visit him tomorrow. Not that it surprises me, she's always too stubborn to wait for him to wake up."

"...Are you well, Weiss?" His words slipped out, before he could stop them. The fact he felt her pause in her next line was enough to cause him to immediately regret it, but he couldn't keep himself from speaking more. "I know that... we've not had much chance to actually speak, and I offer an apology to you. Indeed, against the Death Stalker I was reckless, but upon sensing you were in danger, I... lost my composure. I hope you will forgive me."

"I'm fine..." The two little words were spoken softly, as he felt her eyes look toward him. He glanced toward her, and a smile broke between them. "And yes, you were indeed. But that Semblance of yours, it was incredibly strong. Army of One, you say?"

"Ah... erm, you see... I've taken to calling it such due to the strength and speed it allows for fighting. I admit, it doesn't help much my real self, but... it is nice to have for protecting things that I wish... and people I cherish," a hint of a blush crept over his cheeks, as he coughed it away. The voice, the dark voice that often crept into his mind when he was alone, tried to whisper, but it was almost soundless, muffled by the strength of the Snow Angel next to him. "It is not a perfect name, but I was quite young when I unlocked it, and... felt it appropriate."

"How did you do that? My own Semblance is, of course, from Schnee family line, but I don't..."

"Ah... That is... more complicated. I will say this: it came at a great sacrifice of a friend. One who I shall not ever forget. He was part of my military class, in fact." With a smile, Osirius lowered down his shoulder, toward Weiss. Her hands glided over the metal carefully, inspecting the strength and durability, when she stopped and frowned, spotting the line.

"What... are these names? _'Rasputin Carmine, Thulian Berri, Baron Carters...'_ These are names," she added, before slowly listing them off as her fingers brushed around the small names that lingered within the metal curves. Down the arm, she spoke each one, over 20 in all, before stopping at one name in particular, one that he knew would be in larger letters, etched into the forearm. Indeed, there was not just a name, but a phrase and a number, etched into the metal to forever mark the hero's memory.

" _'Never forget that true light is never lost, and a life never truly ends, only transcends to a place we've yet to explore. 09/27. Feijoa "Fury Fighter" Fuchisa.'_." The two spoke the same line, as Weiss' frown turned in confusion. For a moment, they were silent, one staring ahead to memories, while the other was only looking at the first with a baffled face.

"Osirius... was she a close friend? A-after me, of course." She stumbled, trying to recover after the stutter. However, he could only give a sigh, and stood slowly. For a moment, he considered all the answers, and also the non-answers. He weighed them each, but in the end, it was one answer that won out.

"...She was the one who saved me from mockery, from the shame of my heritage. When I was sent to the encampment, the other kids saw me as a weak, timid child who would have died within days. I had to fight to live, they said. They would steal food from me, they would lock me out of the cabins during the coldest weather, and they would force me to clean their own messes. The staff refused to believe anything less than my own faults... but it was her that came forward to remind me what I was fighting for.

" She was a former Huntsman of Atlas. She had lost most of her team in a place called Mountain Glenn. I... only know that there was one other survivor, but whenever she mentioned him, she refused to give his name. She said that, had things been better, had she known... she would have gone to him, told him about how much importance he was to her. But in the end, she said, he just left. He took his cane, his hat, and left Atlas. He'd become disillusioned with the idea of honor and justice, I assume... As the last of her team, she vowed to teach others to survive, to make them stronger. For me, I was the weakest, so I had to be put through three times the training. I endured it all, hoping to make her proud."

Weiss sat in silence, listening as he recounted the story, a smile on her face... until she saw his mouth turn to a sad frown, a tone of pain in his voice. For a moment, she considered her options, before she took a breath and asked softly.

"...What happened on that day?"

"...It was a cold, horrible night. During the night, several of the students had gone temporarily AWOL to find some refreshments at nearby Mantle. We'd been warned that there were Beowolves, even Ursa spotted. They didn't care. What student cares when there is a chance for hot food and the chance to get a kiss from a pretty girl? Stupid fools... they were ambushed. It was only because of her, and by extension myself, that we found them. I still had not my new arms, but I had been built up, made stronger by her. Not as strong as I am now, but I was... tougher. Three Beowolves, nothing to a Huntsman, but they were children, and she was out of practice... They all would have died, had I not unlocked my Semblance that night. But it only happened as I saw her... saw her being clawed open. It was my fault, honestly. If I had been stronger, if I had convinced them to leave... My Semblance, and these arms, are a promise: I will never let any comrade of mine down. I will not let them die, or suffer... and yet, I was unable to hold that promise."

His eyes turned down to his hands, a frown etching into his face. Another time he had failed to live up to his promises. Another time he had failed to save someone. Another time, and another life on the line. But as he looked into the metal sheen, he saw one of her own hands slide over and hold his. Barely half as big as his own, the appearance still made him turn to look into her quite serious face.

"Now you know that is not true, Osirius Malachite. You are not a god, nor are you a machine. You are a Faunus, and you are... you are my friend. As much as what I've seen of the Faunus, you've proven yourself time and again as a controlled, heroic person. You care for all people, you show the utmost kindness, and you attempt to be a gentleman to everyone. You ran to get Goodwitch, not because you were any of those things. You did it because you wanted to help. And no one here will blame you for that, except for..." She drifted off, but her face contorted itself into an angry scowl.

Indeed, there was only one group who might have issue with them, but Team CDNL was in very deep water with their actions. Not only were they given detention and mandatory civil service for their initial actions, but they'd almost caused the death of another, which WAS punishable by the law. Doing so would not sit well with not just the Council, where Cardin's father was seated, but had put the entire school against him.

"In any case, Weiss... I'm just glad you came out safe. If it had been you who were injured... I would not know what I would have done," he muttered, his eyes looking away from her own. The two sat there for what felt like an eternity, before Weiss stood up slowly, dusting her dress off.

"Indeed, I am safe... But I must admit, the idea there are Grimm out there we've no understanding of... it is troubling. Just promise me that if there is danger, you will look after yourself. I cannot abide by the idea that you would be harmed. If you are to be my guardian, as you so proclaimed..." Here, she turned and looked at him, a small smile crossing her lips as he blushed once more, looking away from her gaze once again. "...Then I shall prove myself as an even greater Huntsmen, in case you come under siege."

Their eyes met one more time, as she stepped to the door frame, before she stopped and turned fully to him.

"I would also ask that you escort me to Hisode's room... I wish to thank him personally for saving my teammate's life, and the life of my partner's sister," she said as calmly as she could, while Osirius could only nod, a bigger smile crossing his face.

"As you wish."

* * *

Upon another balcony, his back to the door inside, Jaune Arc stood with his sword in hand. His eyes were softly tracing along the horizon of the night sky. His fingers twitched over the handle of his sword, as he felt questions boil under his skin. So many questions that demanded answers, not all of them available to the blonde knight. For all his bluster about being a hero, something he'd screamed at Pyrrha about, he'd been completely worthless to save his friend. Or so he had believed, until he felt his power rush into his hands. He'd felt his aura rush to meet with Hisode's, and they had mixed together to rapidly reheal his entire body. What had been a mortal wound had instead become a survivable one.

"Jaune? Are you alright? You look troubled..." The voice of Pyrrha Nikos crossing over the roof caused him to snap out of his thoughts. Turning to her, he saw her dressed in her Beacon uniform, complete with her golden tiara.

"Not really... I've been thinking about what happened with Hisode. With how I couldn't... I couldn't even help him. I was too weak. I was too weak, and I let my friend almost die. I made that dumb speech about having to be a hero, and when the call came, what did I do? I stood there. I barely saved his life, and..." His voice drifted off, the unspoken words floating between them. However, before long, he felt a hand slide over and pull him into an embrace. Pyrrha's hair drifted to his nose, and with it came the hint of pumpkin and cinnamon.

"I wasn't much help either... It was nothing we've ever seen before. It was a Grimm we have not encountered in the wild, unlike a Beowolf, or even a Deathstalker. That thing... it didn't feel natural, even by the standards of our enemies. Don't blame yourself, Jaune. Even I was helpless to it. If I had known what was going to happen, I would have stepped in to help, but... all I did was stand there uselessly. So if you were too weak, so was I," she finished with a gentle sigh. Her hands clung to his back, before she continued. "But you saved him. You were not worthless. You are a hero, Jaune. And I'm so proud to be your partner."

Jaune felt a warm hand press onto the small of his back, rubbing around to soothe the ache in his body. As she spoke, he couldn't help but feel relaxed against her. But a question still boiled inside his brain.

"Hey Pyrrha, have you ever... you know, have you ever been in this situation? Where you felt like you weren't... you weren't able to do what you wanted to do?" It felt so dumb, she was the Invincible Warrior, she was the Mistral Champion. She was on the box of Pumpkin Pete, for Gods' sake.

"I have."

Jaune could only blink in shock, pulling away to look into her emerald eyes. The way he looked so shocked and confused must have seemed hilarious, as Pyrrha broke into a laugh, at first barely a snicker before she burst into huge, side-holding guffaws. She had to lean forward and gasp for air, the laughter breaking out into pants and a huge smile of joy.

"Jaune, of course I've been there. I'm not perfect. Failing means time to grow. Did you honestly believe that I have never failed once in my life? I've broken my bones, I've had my face smashed into the dirt, I had to learn my Semblance and I had to become stronger through failing. It took a long, long time to get there, and even now, I have times when I need help. That is why I am so proud to have you as my friend, as well as my partner. It doesn't matter how many times you fall, it just reminds me of myself, and I'll do whatever I can to pick you back up. And I would do the same for any of the others of JNPR."

Jaune felt his heart rise a tad. She felt so grateful for him? For all his faults and screw ups? It was... empowering, but even as he felt it, Jaune knew that he had to change. Putting his sword at his hip, still within its shield sheathe, he looked right at her.

"Pyrrha, I... I need your help. I was able to save his life after the injury, but that's not enough. I need to become a stronger fighter, not just for glory or to be strong. I need to be powerful enough to save everyone and take out the monsters before they can hurt anyone. I want to be as strong as you are. Can you... can you help me get strong?" He did his best to keep the tremble out of his voice, but it snuck up anyway. However, instead of laughing at him, Pyrrha's smile grew... before she suddenly pushed him off his feet!

"Wha- oof! What was that for! Pyrrha, I know I was a jerk, but you don't...!" His voice died, as Pyrrha held out her hand to him.

"First rule of combat: How to keep your balance."

* * *

_Yang and Hisode sat on the ledge of the roof, watching the sunset over Beacon. Her lilac eyes danced over the treeline, as her good buddy of puns flicked his lighter and puffed on one of his herbal cigarettes. There was no smell to them, not this time, and yet she could already feel herself shift slightly away to avoid the incoming smoke. Not that she complained... but she would-_

"_Guess you could say we're both '_smoking hot_.' Am I wrong?" Hisode's voice broke through her thoughts, as Yang turned to smile at him. But there was no smile on his face, just a downer look in those eyes, one that watched the field of green and the pavement below them. No students beyond the two of them, and it felt off. As if there was something that wasn't real about this. The birds, too, they were missing. No crows, no blue jays... nothing. But she forced a smile anyway, as she laughed a little._

"_You stole my pun, you knucklehead! But I can't lie, you've got... got..." Suddenly, she remembered what happened. She turned toward him and frowned. "Wait, Hisode, you shouldn't be smoking! You were stabbed! You should recov-"_

"_I'm just... I want to enjoy this. I like being around you. You're strong, Yang. You're beautiful, strong, and tougher than any Grimm or human jerk out there. I believe in you," he said, the cigarette starting to burn faster, the end rapidly disappearing not into ash, but a black figure behind him. Yang's eyes went wide as she reached for him... but a glass wall had appeared, blocking her hand. Punching her fist into the wall over and over, she shook her head._

"_Hisode, behind you! RUN!"_

"_Hey, Yang? Thanks for being my best friend. I have to admit... it was the best time of my life." His eyes turned to meet hers, those two tones sparkling as he pulled the spent cigarette out of his lip, and flicked it behind him. The white nub attached to the black figure, growing into a curved, massive blade, one that reared up and aimed right for him. Yang's punches moved toward the creature, but Ember Celica didn't fire... In fact, her bracelets were gone. Panic setting in, she charged forward, but now the glass formed a room around her, stopping her from getting too close._

"_HISODE!"_

"_Yang... it was really '_fang-tastic_' to meet you. Take good care of Ren and Nora, and tell everyone... I'm sorry for being a disappointment of a monster," he smiled, before turning to the monster and shouting unheard words to the beast. The creature's tail lowered, before it grew to a massive size, easily towering over them both. It was horrible to truly see, but she could not turn away as she watched it grow multiple heads, each one opening into a jaw of razor sharp teeth, glinting eyes, and death. Her fists pounded on the barrier harder, trying to break free as he turned turned toward her and winked..._

_Before the center head lunged down and swallowed Hisode whole._

"HISODE, NO!"

Yang shot to her feet, panting and huffing from the nightmare. Her eyes traveled around the white room, unable to process where she was for a moment, as the remains of the nightmare flowed through her veins. It was only as she heard the steady beeping of a monitor, the shuffling of the curtain, and saw the streams of sunlight did she realize she'd fallen asleep in the hospital chair late at night.

It wasn't that she had planned to, but Yang had not slept peacefully for the past few days. As well, she spent her class periods either so focused on the work to avoid thinking about him, or punching down the combatants of Goodwitch's class that she often found herself exhausted. It was tough, but Yang knew that she had to be stronger. She wasn't going to be an awesome explorer if she was easily beaten, nor could she keep Ruby and her friends safe. But as she glanced to Hisode, asleep in the bed, she felt a small smile come over her lips.

As crazy and as dumb as he was, she had to admit that he was cool for saving her twice now. He made dumb puns along with her, and he was always helpful with a laugh, or a cheerful smile and offer to help her out with some of the work. Hisode had quickly taken up the spot as "Master of Notes and Homework." If it came down to theory, he was the one who could explain it over and over. Even better, whenever there was a moment, Hisode and Yang would break down into a pair of giggling fits over puns, sometimes in the middle of the library.

As she cracked her back, she glanced down at his bandaged hand. The cloth was now a dyed red, stained by all the sap that soaked into them. But even as messily as it had been, it looked rather nice, a splash of color on his otherwise mostly dark clothes. Still, having a pair of pink bandages was probably too much. It would explain why his twitching hand was more like a-

She froze mid thought, and glanced down at the hand. It was twitching... and slowly, she became aware of a soft groan. The doctors hadn't said when he'd wake up, but they HAD removed the transfusion bag last night. His hand gave a twitch again, before she slowly touched his hand.

"H...Hisode? Are you...?"

"Bluh? Whuzzah...?" She could almost hear the creak of his eyelids, as they blinked away slowly. Unfocused, weak, his hand slowly curled around hers. It was tired, weak... but she felt him react to her presence. After a moment, he opened his eyes fully and look at her, confused.

"...Is this heaven? Are you like, an Angel?"

Yang felt her cheeks turn the darkest shade of red, but more than that, she felt her mouth crack into her goofiest smile.

"Really, Lady-killer? After getting stabbed, almost dying from a toxin, and now waking up in a hospital, the first thing on your mind is to flirt with me? I have to admit... you've got some really big cajones," she laughed, as her hand tightened its grip on his. The idiot was alive, alright... as he tried to sit up.

"Ugh... Yang? Where am I? Why do I feel like I'm weighed down by... like... a thousand pounds...?" Slowly, his arms slid back to push against the mattress, as her arm curled around his shoulder blades to help him stand. The doctors had, for some reason, let him go back to wearing his usual clothes, but the bulky vest had been opened to allow for him to breathe.

"You're in the school infirmary. You had to get some help... do you remember what happened?" Her eyes locked onto his own, as he grunted and popped his back. The sound of those bones cracking was a welcome sound, especially as he gasped in pain. Pain was good, it meant he was alive... and boy, did that make her sound like a sort of dominatrix. She had figured Nora would more likely fit that role.

"I remember... being extremely close to sainthood."

Yang just stared at him, confusion scrawled over her face as she just blanked out on him.

"You know, sainthood. Or maybe becoming a priest. Ya know... cuz I was so '_hole-y_'." The look he shot her was of a shit-eating grin, his eyes half open in that stupid jokester style. Yang snorted and tried to work her glare up, but with two jokes at once, she felt her facade breaking apart as she had to lean over and hold her stomach, before bursting into belly-filled laughs.

"Really? Of all the puns in the world to go for, you went for that one? You stupid..." She couldn't continue, laughing and kicking her feet as she collapsed onto the bed. Hisode's hand came up to pet her head, as she felt him smiling down at her. "You are so awful at puns, I swear... Either you're intentionally using bad puns, or you get bad when you get hurt."

"Let's go for 50/50 even split, then.." He chuckled, grunting as he held his stomach. "Feels like a total black hole in my gut... I think my Aura can heal me enough to stomach something solid..."

"Goodwitch, and the others, would kill me for this... but come on. I'll walk you to breakfast." Pulling him up to stand, the two slowly stumbled toward the door. Hisode's foot lifted very slowly to step on the floor, as he chuckled.

"Well, don't worry... I'm sure we'll be fi-HAI!" The moment he put weight on his legs, the two yelped and fell to the floor. Ahead of them, the door of the room opened, and in walked JNPR, the rest of RWBY, and BCKM (minus Cin). What they saw, however, was what led to a source of great embarrassment for both Yang and Hisode.

Yang, having been dragged down by Hisode, landed on top of him... and their lips had met in an accidental lock. The two stared right at each other, completely shocked still. Ahead of them, their teams were also watching with wide, shocked eyes. For what felt like eternity, no one spoke... and then...

"MOTHER FUCKER, I LOST THE BET!?"

* * *

**Remember to follow, favorite, and comment a constructive criticism about the story. Until next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Merry (Belated) Christmas to each and everyone! So as you can see, this chapter.. kind of got away from me. I know it's bad, but I was hoping to avoid making two chapters, one not having enough stuff, and one that was just too short. In the end, this Mega Chapter came to being purely because I want to make you guys feel denied of content. So, I hope you don't mind the Super-size! Consider this a small gift to you all!**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"So much Lien... so much money... I was so close to having myself a lovely nest egg..."

"Let this be a lesson to you, Kamohoa: Gambling is a fool's tax, and the only certainty is that you will lose. I do recall many of my peers in the training camps often choosing to-"

"Stop. Talking." Hisode's teeth were gritted with overwhelming anger, his hood pulled over his face. For the past 24 hours, except for sleep, Kamohoa had bellyached about the fact that he'd lost a bet. Not just a bet about sports, not just a bet about some random game of chance. No, it turned out that EVERYONE had been betting on when Yang and him would have gotten together. After several attempts of trying to suffocate him didn't work, the two had, after Hisode's Aura kicked in to restore his muscles to a suitable strength, attempted to pound the groups into the dirt.

Of course, they explained afterward that no, they weren't actually together, that it was just an accident. But Hisode had definitely come out of the encounter worse: It was his first kiss, and he'd accidentally given it away! Not that he would COMPLAIN about kissing Yang, but the two hadn't really planned on it, so they both had... not good breath. His lips, as well, were still getting over the medicine, leaving it cracked and chappy, while leaving what was probably sickly hot smell on her. Her lips had been fine... but unfortunately, she'd not brushed her teeth and thus it didn't exactly smell or taste great.

Still, a kiss with Yang had been something special. It felt pretty good for him, but it was still an accident and something she most likely had not wanted. Which was why, three days afterward when he'd been released from the infirmary with the express condition to not over-strain himself with training, Hisode had gone to see her (amid the smirks of her team, because why wouldn't they) and asked for forgiveness for his pulling her down. Yang only laughed it off in that sweet, amazing way of hers and just punched him in the shoulder, saying how she'd not blamed him for it at all. Then, out of nowhere, Weiss asked if his team would come with them to Vale the next day, to "welcome" the new students into the academy of Beacon.

Of course, BCKM immediately could sense the real reason, as did RWBY. But they allowed the lie to stand, if only to keep the Schnee from being annoyed with all of them. As they had walked out of campus together, Hisode had done a last systems check of Cin, writing down a note to buy more lightning dust to help keep the mechanical wonder working at top performance. However, while Hisode's team had enough saved over from the weekly dividend paid out by the Council to all Huntsmen and Huntresses, Kamohoa still wanted to earn more, saying how losing bets made him feel like he'd been gutted of a better deal.

Not that Hisode would give him sympathy. No, when he decided to use his team leader as part of a bet, mercy and the like were gone.

"So, how go the lessons with Jaune? Last I heard, you and him got into a fight," Hisode spoke lower, careful to keep the girls from overhearing. It wasn't something shameful... but the honest fact was, Kamohoa and Jaune's whole "Street-Wise-Style" was not something they needed to shout about to everyone. Even if the powder-blue Faunus was prone to shouting out to Jaune by calling him "my student".

"The dumbass thought he was savvy enough to try and walk the walk, to try and sound tough and cool for a bunch of second year students. He ended up accidentally putting his sword through his belt and cutting his pants down his ass. A good lesson for him to learn, but then he got mopey for fucking up. So I took him to the training hall to cheer him up, and he tried to say how I'm not teaching him enough. I took him to task with some combat moves... I think he needs proper training. Pyrrha showed up and she offered to train Jaune in combat, while I work out his mindset. I'm good at brawling, but she's got the sword styles down that Jaune needs. Hopefully he'll be a stronger ass kicker," the bandaged teen added, kicking a rock with one foot as he sighed.

"Hmm... It might help for him to learn from Pyrrha. She'd most especially be able to offer him the sword stances that none of us use," Osirius added, clunking in the back of the group. Hisode, for once, could only agree.

His own weapon style was more reliant on shooting and slicing, while Kamohoa focused more on strong axe chops and his partner used an overly heavy weapon for crushing foes and blowing them to hell. None of them possessed the real style of someone who'd use a traditional sword and shield. True, they could teach to block with their swords, but for Hisode, blocking was a last resort, not the first defense. For Kamohoa, the best defense was his offense, where he could not just punch, but he'd use his axe blades to cut through their gaps in defense and take them out with a more crazed style of attacking. Osirius... was a literal tank, so why did he need to defend? He could just crush someone's arms, or use his fists to stop the attack, then do a counter punch to send them flying backward.

"The Vytal Festival! Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!"

Ahead of them, the trio of boys saw as their friends in Team RWBY were standing just under a large, paper banner. Across the sign, painted words that spoke "Welcome to Vale!" were slathered on with gusto and good cheer. Weiss stood at the head of the pack, her arms crossed over her chest as a huge smile had spread over her face.

Ruby, to her credit, spoke up the words that crossed over Hisode's mind.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much Weiss. It's kind of weirding me out..."

"HAH! I'm sure Ice Queen smiled pretty hard about 2 days ago... isn't that right, Soldier Boy?" Kamohoa's huge, knowing grin caught the attention of everyone, as he looked right to Osirius. For once, the larger male had a huge, wide-eyed look of shock... and then his cheeks glowed bright pink.

"I... I have no idea what you're talking about. There was nothing that happened at all, I can most assuredly promise all of you," he replied, his eyes darting to look away. For most of the group, it was obviously too embarrassing to discuss. Most would have let the question drop without a single worry or concern for what it could be. However, Yang's face split into a huge smile, before she walked over to stand next to Kamohoa, nudging him and leaning on his shoulder.

"Ohhhh? Sounds like something we need to hear... Especially me. So what happened with the Ice Queen and Soldier Boy?"

"Would you two quit calling us that? And nothing happened, nothing of the sort!" Weiss tried to sputter out more, but her own cheeks turned bright red, her eyes glancing anywhere but at Osirius. "We merely had a... mishap, an unexpected encounter when-"

"Ice Queen got to see Soldier Boy coming out of the shower in our room, and he was going like usually does: Completely naked."

The look on Yang's face was the epitome of joy, while Ruby went dark red and covered her mouth, staring between all three members of the group with shock. Blake, who'd kept her eyes in her book, glanced up suddenly, her focus now on the conversation at hand. Hisode couldn't help it, his eyebrows shooting up with slight shock as he watched both persons involved giving a sputter at the teammate and rapscallion.

"You...! I TOLD YOU **_NOT_ TO SAY ANYTHING!**"

"Kamohoa! How could break the promise I've asked of you?!"

"Easy... Cuz you two look so gods-damn funny trying to hide what happened. You should have seen them, everyone... Icy-pop comes into the room, while Hisode was still in the infirmary. She's trying to find this brush that she lent to the Jolly Bronze Giant. While she's digging around his bed, he comes out of the shower, scrubbing his hair off. I'm halfway through one of my magazines when I hear Osirius talking to me about some random fucking bullshit. Anyway, I look up and he's there, head covered by a towel, scrubbing that lawn he calls hair. Then I look-"

"PLEASE, NO!"

"Kamohoa Yale, if you even finish that-!"

"-look over, and Weiss is just standing there, her eyes locked on him. And then..." Kamohoa's voice broke down into a belly-filled laugh, as he bent forward and slapped his knee. "And then Weiss just looks down at his twig and berries... Or should it be branch and pine cones, Ice Queen!? Anyway, she takes one look at his dick, turns bright red, and _SQUEAKS! _She sounds like a mouse in a trap, and then he pulls his towel down and they look at each other and then they both run out of the view of each other! **_HAH HAHAHAHAAAA_**! Osirius still keeps the door locked, and Weiss won't stop going bright red every time they get less than a foot away from each other! It's not actually a snake, Icy-pop! But... But...!" He couldn't help it, falling over and punching the ground, laughing harder.

"But it's sure one hell of a spitting cobra!" Yang's voice joined the fun, before both of them were bursting into even more peals of laughter. Hisode, trying to maintain the discipline of a leader, lasted all of five seconds before he snorts and began to laugh. Even Blake couldn't resist cracking a smirk, as Osirius covered his face with his hands, and Weiss squawked and stomped her foot, looking extremely angry.

Ruby, her face turning red, could only stifle her giggles by covering her face with both hands, trying to keep from laughing... before the Schnee heiress turned to Kamohoa with murder in her eyes.

"I'm going to stuff your body in a place they'll never find you and no jury on Remnant will convict me!" Taking out her sword, she raced after Kamohoa, who had recovered enough to bolt behind a still frozen Osirius. Meanwhile, Hisode, stepping back from the terror of an angered Weiss, spotted a strange sight: A dust shop, their window smashed in, with police tape criss-crossed over the hole. Detectives of the VPD were scanning the window, but the way they walked was... almost resigned, as if they had an idea and were doing it mainly for show.

Walking away from the moment of Kamohoa holding the pointed end of Myrtenaster above his chest with both hands, struggling to fight off the enraged strength of an embarrassed Schnee, the violet teen stood behind the barricade and glanced over what he could see, listening to the police chatter over radios. However, even over the buzzy, static filled noise, he heard as the others sped-walked over to stand with him. Beside him, Kamohoa was tilting side to side, trying to look past the tape.

"Hey, one of you doughnut dunkers know what happened? Looks like a bomb hit this place," he said, a frown forming over his face. Despite his rather blunt and cold words, the police only shot him a sunglasses-enhanced glare and scowl, but it was obvious they were not in a good mood. Before more harsh words, and possible handcuffs, could be exchanged, Osirius moved forward, lifting up his wallet to show a holographic badge that clung to the inside.

"Atlesian Milita, Rank First Class Subordinate, Osirius Malachite. I apologize for my partner's crass behavior. May I ask what happened here? If need be, I can offer my services to the respectful Vale Police Department." Immediately, the police officers turned to look at him, shock scrawled over their faces at his height, frame, and his rank. After a moment, one of the cops, a man with a thick beard and mustache combo, approached.

"No need, sir. We've got what we can. Looks to be a Robbery. We've experienced two of them this week. To be honest, this place is turning into a jungle..." The way he sighed, saying the last part, almost felt like a clue for Hisode, who tucked it into the back of his mind. Behind him, he heard Yang sigh in sadness.

"They left all the money again." One of the other detectives, a man who's messy hair remined the group more than a tiny bit of Oobleck, spoke as he began climbing through the boarded and taped door. His words were more directed toward the man who spoke to Osirius, as he approached with a confused and annoyed look on his face. Immediately, Hisode's focus was drawn to the final word:

_'Again? This has happened before, where they've not taken the money?'_

"Eh, doesn't make a lick of sense... Who needs that much dust?" Hisode frowned again, as his hand flew up to hold his chin.

_'Hold on... Robbery of the dust, but not the money? Why would someone only want to steal dust? You could make money selling it back, but why not just steal the money from the register... You'd make more that way, so they're not selling it...'_

"You thinkin' the, uh... White Fang?"

Immediately Osiirus and Weiss both gave a jerk, their eyes focusing as Hisode noticed them. He'd heard of the Faunus extremists before, how they originally sought out equality for both humans and Faunus, but their methods, over time, had changed to become more violent. They'd gone from protests of peace and civility to attacking convoy trucks, killing soldiers and sending out threats of violence to anyone who would harm their brothers and sisters in race. But why would the White Fang need so much Dust? They could very easily have someone sneak it out of the many, many Schnee mines. Grimm attacks and White Fang revolts often left the mines unable to account for dust that would go missing or "explode". It made no sense... unless they were planning a war with the entire world, but no leader was that crazy.

Right?

"Hmph," Weiss sighed, her arms crossing over her chest as Osirius and the others turned to her. "The White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates."

"You said it, Icy-Pop. Bunch of low down dirty shit suckers," Kamohoa said, for once agreeing with the Schnee. The shock from that was abated, after checking the sky for any sign of swine taking flight or the recent cold snap in the underworld, as Blake turned to them and spoke up.

"What is with you two? What's wrong with the White Fang?"

"Well, Bow-Babe-"

"Call me that again and I kick you in the groin with my high heels."

"...Blake. My problem with the White Fang is, because those shitheads turned savage, I had to deal with people giving me shit for being a Faunus. Just cuz I've got teeth that look like I could take a bite out of someone's thigh like a chicken wing and I have fins, I've had pissant after donkey fucker trying to pin ME for the blame back in Vacuo. Hell, even here in Vale I run into the nasty glance because of it," Kamohoa added, pulling out his flask from his jacket and uncapping it to take a slow sip.

"Yes... because you're a Faunus. Not because you're a foul mouthed jerk who tends to swear like a sailor," Blake said with a dry, withering look on her face as she cocked herself to one side.

"Yo-ho-fucking-ho."

"I simply don't care for the criminally insane," Weiss responded, which made Blake's glare turn toward her, her lips curling into a scowl.

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

"Misguided?!" Weiss actually looked completely shocked to hear such words attributed to them. It was understandable; how could anyone defend the criminal organization known for murdering human people? Then again, those who were killed were "suspected" (and by suspected, it was as obvious as Ruby having a cookie fetish) that they were Faunus abusing jerks who would most often lead whole groups to attack with little concern of the laws.

"Oh boy... I sense a disturbance in the Force..." Hisode said quietly, backing up as Weiss glared at him. Immediately, his hands flew upward in surrender, as Weiss continued, her tone growing in anger as she spoke.

"They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"

"All things considered, there's definitely a few humans who deserve that treatment, I would say," Kamohoa dryly added, his arms held behind his back with a slight scowl etched into his face. Weiss turned to give him a word before she shook her head. From the look on her face, she seemed as if she wanted to disagree, but found no true fault over thinking what he said. As she looked back to Blake, the bow-wearing girl spoke up.

"They're just... VERY Misguided." Yes, that's the wording to be used to describe someone who was that utterly dedicated to killing humans. Kamohoa could, however, choose to keep his mouth SHUT in times such as this.

"Blake, the only way they could be THAT misguided is if they're a missile with remote control, and we put someone like Nora on the fucking controls!" Kamohoa's eyes narrowed, as Blake's own gaze looked at him. He wasn't... entirely wrong with the analogy, due to an incident where he'd tried to improve his baby sister's grenades to be rocket propelled and follow a laser. The end result was a lot of unhappy people without homes, and several missing cats.

Hisode, Osirius, Yang, and Ruby all sensed the argument brewing and began to step away slowly.

"In any case," Blake said firmly, "it doesn't explain why they'd rob a dust shop in downtown Vale." An angered huff escaped her lips, as she glanced over the windows. Weiss and Kamohoa, grumbling, stood with crossed arms. Ruby, ever the voice of reason in times like this, coughed into her fist.

"Um... Blake, you know... does have a point. Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into, like... months ago. Maybe it was him."

"Wait, who the bloody fuck is Torchwick? Sounds like the name for a brand of off-season lighters that have a shit name for a pun." Kamohoa glanced over to Ruby, who blinked and palmed her face.

"Ohhh, you never heard that story... Ok, you know how I got into Beacon like, 2 years early? Well, it was because of this really jerky dude. I was getting some comics one night, and then these guys in black suits and red ties just showed up. They were trying to rob the store, and the one leading them was this guy in a white suit, black pants, and a really ugly Fedora. He used a ca-"

"A cane that shot explosive shots out of the straight end? Brown cigar with a red band and a gold trim around it?" Osirius was looking dead at Ruby, his face screwed up into the most intense look of focus they'd ever seen.

"Y... yea, how did you-?"

"HEY! STOP THAT FAUNUS!"

A voice cried out from the docks, as the group turned toward the source. Immediately, Hisode dashed over toward the railing, determined to find out what happened. The others followed suit, before all of them skidded to a halt to see a trio running on a ship.

In front of two guards, dressed in a white, open shirt with red and black gauntlets, jeans and sneakers, with a yellow monkey tail, a teenager like themselves jumped onto the railing of the ship.

"Thanks for the ride, guys!" With that, he jumped overboard, landing on the wooden planks with ease, before dashing off onto a lamp post, hanging by his tail. A laugh escaped his lips as he hung there, pulling a banana out of his shirt from one of his pockets and chomping down, completely at ease.

"You no-good stowaway!"

"Hey, a no-good stowaway would have been caught! I'm a GREAT stowaway!" He smiled, speaking around the hunk of banana in his mouth as he hung down. The Faunus just barely dodged a rock thrown by one of the detectives earlier. The one with the glasses, looking as pissed off as he had been with Kamohoa, stood under the teen.

"Get down here this instant!" His voice broke no argument... but the "stowaway" only laughed and threw the banana's peel in his face.

Jumping down past them, as the detectives began to give chase, the Faunus ran past the group. Everyone saw as he shot Blake a wink and a smile, before rushing off. However, someone else reacted... a little more verbally.

"Wait a fucking... SUN!? HOLY SHIT! SUN!" The grin that broke over Kamohoa's face was almost... child-like and mischievous at the same time. Child-like in that it was sweet and full of friendliness they'd never seen before. He didn't have a smirk, or a hidden intent... he looked actually happy. It was slightly evil looking because his teeth were completely exposed, showing off every inch of those pearly whites. The sight caused the detectives, who glanced over, to recoil in fear. Just enough for Kamohoa to immediately take off after the Faunus.

"Well, Weiss... you wanted to see the competition... and there it goes." Ruby's voice had never sounded so monotone and hilarious at the same time.

"Uhh... Quick! We have to observe him!" Everyone besides Weiss shared a look and rolled their eyes before they all took off after their friend. Behind them, they heard the detectives, one of whom complained of having wet himself, trying to follow after them. The group followed after their friend, turning the corn-

WHAM!

"Oof-!" "Oooh..."

Weiss went down first. Thankfully, as she had been in the lead, her voice was enough for everyone to stop mid step. Osirius, ever the gentleman, stepped over and helped Weiss to her feet.. but they watched as the Faunus, Sun, and Kamohoa turned toward a large fence and jump over it with ease.

"No, he got away!" Weiss frowned, her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at where the duo had taken to running off. "I hope Kamohoa can catch up to-"

"Uh, Weiss?" With that, Yang and Hisode both pointed down near her feet, and the group looked to see what the White-themed girl had run into. Or rather, whom.

Dressed in a beige outfit with a gray-ish blouse, her neck had a black and green collar around it, the green slightly luminesent. Her hair was short, bouncy and orange, with a little curl at the top. Dressed in what looked like black pants with more of the green lines, with black shoes to compliment them, she looked... very odd, Hisode would have told to anyone. And then, she spoke, still lying down.

"Salutations!"

If her cheerful attitude after being knocked down had been odd, then what came next was even more shocking.

"...wait... P...Penny? Penny-Pence?" Osirius' eyes were wide with shock, as the girl looked at him... and a massive grin formed on her face.

"BIG BROTHER OSIRIUS!" Immediately, she jumped to her feet and raced backward, stopping a good 50 feet away, on the other side of a large straight "track". Osirius turned to the others and smiled.

"You all may want to get out of the way... now. I'd advise you move quickly." With that, he turned and gave the biggest laugh and held his arms out, hanging somewhat lower to the ground. The girl, meanwhile, only gave a happy laugh and cheer, bouncing up and down. Her arms shot upward, doing a complete opposite hold, as if she were going to...

"Oh... Oh crap!" Grabbing everyone as best as he could, Hisode pulled them all to one side, before the two rushed at each other as fast as they could.

"PENNY-PENCE!"

"BIG BROTHER OSIRIUS!"

The moment that they came close, the little girl picked HIM up and spun Osirius around, laughing and letting go at the right moment to send him flying backward in a rapid, rough-sounding roll. However, instead of being in pain, Osirius only gave the biggest, happiest laugh he'd ever given. Not just a big laugh after an extremely good joke, but great big belly-filled joyous sounds, as the girl jumped up and down, laughing as well.

"Me! Me! Me next! Me next!"

"Alright, here I come!" Osirius rushed forward and this time, she was the one picked up, spun around while being lifted high into the air, before he tossed her upward... and she continued until she was almost a dot in the sky. At the very last moment, she started to come back down, and they could STILL hear the laughter, as Osirius caught her with a loud CRASH! The two lay on the ground, with the taller teen laughing even harder as the girl sat on his chest and smiled.

"Big Brother Osirius, it has been 89 days, 11 hours, 47 minutes, and 16 seconds since we last saw each other! How I have missed you!" Her arms rapidly squeezed around his waist, as he stood up, patting her head.

"I know, I must apologize... I should have written, but I've been busy with my team, and my friends. Come, come, please meet them!" With that, he picked the girl up and put her on his shoulder, grinning like a loon. "Everyone, this is my little sister, Penny Polendina!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Everyone just stared at the two of them, utter shock and confusion on their faces. After what felt like an hour, Hisode coughed into his hand and nudged Ruby's side gently, before nodding toward the girl.

"Oh, uh... Hi Penny, I'm Ruby."

"I'm Weiss."

"Blake."

"Are you two alright? Did you like, hit your heads together or something?" _**THWAP! **_"Oh, I'm Yang."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Once again, the girl spoke the same line... in exactly the same tone. Hisode could only perk one brow up before he coughed into one of his hands, extending the other.

"Yes, you've, uh... mentioned that... My name is Hisode. I'm not on their team, I'm actually the leader of BCKM, the same team as your, uh... brother... Who neglected to mention that he had a very interesting sister," he added in a fake-stern voice, looking at the taller male with a smile. There was no venom in his words, but the teen still had the good grace to LOOK ashamed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" And third time was the charm, as Weiss sighed.

"You've already said that... Anyway, I apologize for running into you. Osirius, we'll leave you to your sister. I'm sure you two have much to talk about," she said with a slightly annoyed tone, before turning with the others to head off in another direction.

"Take care friend!"

"Have a nice day, buddies!"

As the group walked off, Hisode sighed a bit, smiling. So his teammate had his own family... maybe that was why they got along so well.

"Well, she was... weird..." Yang said, which made him immediately frown at her. After a moment of consideration, he shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Yang Xiao-Long, that is not polite. Just because she has her quirks does not give ups the right to judge her... Nor does it give us the right to judge their... ah... overly complicated relationship rituals. I'm sure that-" was all he got out, before Weiss broke in.

"Now, we must find out where that Faunus riffraff run off to?" Hisode turned to say how he was talking... but the words had died in his throat.

Somehow, Penny was right in front of them, with the sound of Osirius' footsteps rushing over from behind them thumping on the ground.

"What did you call me?"

"Oh, I'm really sorry! I definitely didn't think you heard me!" Hisode blinked, before Ruby and him palmed their faces.

"Fantastic, Yang, your powers of charisma are astounding. Shall we-"

"No, not you..." And then Penny walked past them... right up to Hisode and Ruby. "YOU two."

Oh. Shit. Immediately, Hisode pulled Ruby behind him to give her a moment to flee, as he gulped.

"Uh... Us? What did we do?"

"She called me friend.. and you said buddy? Am I truly those things?" The look in her eyes was... impossible to decipher. For once, Hisode was unable to find a good word to say, while he saw the others of Team RWBY giving him signs to deny it. The looks on their faces matched his inner fear. The girl could possibly find them offensive for wanting to call her a friend so soon. But before he could, Ruby spoke up:

"Um... of... of course! Yea, sure! Why not?" Then she gave a nervous giggle... as the others behind Penny collapsed to the ground, while Osirius just watched with a nervous look.

"Heh... hahaha! Big brother Osirius, I've made two new friends! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!" Suddenly, Hisode felt like denying what she said, that they were NOT buddies. But then she grinned at him.. and wrapped her arms around him... before lifting him off the ground.

"And we even have a cute boy right here!" The strength she possessed was... horrifying. Hisode actually saw his soul starting to escape out of his mouth, clawing for air, as he struggled in her death grip.

"Agh...! Penny! Space! AIR! Can't breath! Osirius! Help! HELP! Lungs... collapsing!" His hand began to pat on her shoulder, which seemed to awaken her from her state of joy. The moment she let go, he broke into massive, choking coughs and gasped for the sweet, delicious Vale air. Behind him, Osirius was... the son of a bitch was laughing.

'_I'm gonna get you back for this, you jerk...' _As he watched as RWBY talked with the girl, Osirius patted his shoulder... before two pairs of footsteps could be heard landing nearby.

"Hey, Icy-Pop! Guess who I found? My buddy, Sun!" Kamohoa's voice broke through the air, before the Faunus from before, Sun, and he walked over, grinning like a pair of loons. They'd put their arms around each other's shoulder, looking a little worse for wear, especially with the monkey Faunus sporting a black eye, and Kamohoa with a bruise over his right cheek. They looked like they'd just beaten the crap out of each other... and were enjoying every second of it.

"YOU! You're that rapscallion from the ship! Probably here to help your White Fang friends!" Weiss' glare could have cut through stone, as her finger jammed into Sun's chest. Immediately, he backed up and held his hands up.

"Whoa, hey, hold on a second, White Fang? No way! I'd never join them. I'm too pretty to go to jail!"

"Yea, you'd end up as the cornhole of the month, then be a prison bitch," Kamohoa added, which led to Sun grinning and pulling him into a headlock, scuffing his hair. However...

"Why do you keep saying that!? Why do you keep calling him rude names?" Blake approached the white themed girl, as the others watched the two, including Sun and Penny. "Stop calling him a rapscallion, stop calling him a degenerate, and stop acting like the White Fang are pure criminals! He's a person!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can, or this lamp post as a lamp post?" Weiss glared daggers, her frown twisted into an angry sneer. Hisode, Kamohoa, and Osirius took a step back, dragging Ruby, Yang, Penny, and Sun with them as they did so. The trio shared a look, one that spoke of making emergency place to vacate the area if need be, to avoid the nuclear-bitch fallout that would surely strike down.

"Stop it!"

"Face it, Blake! He was a stowaway on a ship! He's a criminal!"

"Actually, I was just on the ship because I wanted to get to Vale before the rest of my t-" Kamohoa's hand slapped over his mouth, trying to keep him quiet. Hisode sent him a silent nod of appreciation, as Weiss continued on.

"Give him time, and he'll join those White Fang monsters! He says he won't, but I know how criminals are! They lie and steal and hurt people you care about!" Crossing her arms, the Schnee looked proud of herself for her words... but Blake only tightened her fist and glared even harder.

"Oh, you ignorant little brat!" And with that, Blake walked away, leaving Weiss to grit her teeth and chase after her, yelling incomprehensibly at each other. Ruby and Yang just turned to the others, who looked away, suddenly interested in the buildings around them.

"Um... I guess we'll see you guys later... Take good care, Penny."

"You too, Hisode. Don't go getting hurt, alright?" Yang smiled a bit at him, which he returned with a nod.

It felt as though today had been one long, unending spiel...

* * *

Wiping his brow, Hisode sighed in relief, sitting outside the Beacon Garage. Within one of his hands, a ratcheting wrench was spun, as he glanced over the engine of Cinereous. Installing the last of the Lightning Dust Plugs, he sighed as he leaned back in the folding chair, wiping his brow with one bandaged arm. Above him, the stars hung like a million lanterns, leaving him with a clear gaze at the sky.

Team RWBY had taken the Bullhead to Beacon first, with BCKM, Penny, and Sun coming with them. The two extras had been given a place in their dorm, for the night at least, until there could be a proper dorm for them. It turned out that Penny was one of the teams coming to Vale for the festival, which was actually quite a shock for the group. Her team had chosen to stay behind for now, she explained, and she wanted to explore Vale on her own, but she was happier to stay with her brother and "my best friend and my boy friend."

That made Hisode spit out a drink of water he'd taken, as did Osirius. The two of them quickly explained the concept to her... but it still felt awkward. It was why, so late at night, Hisode was running the last few checks on Cin.

"Alright... Primer is connected. Systems are... locked... Richter wheels are set to engage when activated... that should about... there we go!" With the last of his checks done, Hisode stood off his seat and thumped the metal side down. Immediately, Cin's systems rebooted and she neighed softly, pressing her metal head to his outreached hand.

"Yea, I know, sweetie... you missed me. You probably got lonely out here, while I was off with my friends. Nora and Ren might come see you, but in the end, my idiot self was too focused on work..." His hand trailed over her mane, before reaching up to tap her horns. Electron-conductive coils, they would unleash a charge so powerful, it could blast apart brick walls with semi-ease. It had taken forever to find the right parts, but it worked for when he needed a one-time cannon shot... even though it would leave the coils dangerously over charged for several hours and meant that he couldn't touch Cin's engine for 3 hours or risk blowing own heart open.

"Well, what do you think? Should we go for a t...est... drive?" His head had snapped to look up at Cin, but as he did, he saw Blake standing in front of the statue of the Hunters. The way she looked at the statue, the way she held her sides... she looked scared. For a moment, Hisode debated going up to her, since they'd never really had a chance, but now was as good a time as any. With that, he stepped once... only to see as she removed the bow around her head and reveal the black cat ears she possessed.

Shock filled his being... before he suddenly realized that it explained so much. She was a Faunus, and thus the connection with the White Fang, she would try to defend them. She most likely had some history with them, perhaps she had to leave the group after a falling out or they had changed. There was a trigger to the events, and she might feel guilt for doing so. It was something sad... and something he understood far too well. With a sigh, Hisode strode over slowly, standing behind her.

"...You look like you're having a bad day," he started, as Blake quickly turned around and looked at him in fear. Not just her usual glances, smirks, or glares, but genuine fear. It was the first time in a long time. But when she saw him, she then relaxed and held her sides. She didn't say anything, but from how she looked, she needed time and comfort. She needed an escape, someplace to feel less exposed. Hisode, for all his faults and failures, he could try to be a friend to someone who needed it.

"...You wanna go for a trip? I can get Sun, the three of us can drive down to Vale, get some tea... You don't gotta talk, but... come on." He tested the waters, stepping toward Blake. Her yellow eyes flicked up toward his, and something stirred in him. Something he'd not felt before:

Understanding.

Taking out his scroll, Hisode quickly typed out a message to Kamohoa, explaining what was going on. Meanwhile, Cin, the beautiful horse she was, gently clopped over and blew some of her exhaust-breath through her nostrils, before nuzzling Blake's chest. The bow-haired girl tied the large concealing accessory back in place, before patting the machine's head.

Soon after, Hisode's scroll buzzed with a message:

_Sun says he'll take Blake out to Vale. Figures she could use someone who isn't from one of the teams, as well as a fellow Faunus, to talk to. I think he's got a bit of a crush on her. What are you going to do? Also, Blake is a Faunus? What is she, a cat?_

For a moment, Hisode tapped his chin, and looked at the girl, who glanced up to him in return. he explained what he had planned, and for a moment, she seemed hesitant, as if she didn't want to agree to it, before she gave a slow, soft nod. For a few moments, he just stood there and waited with her. There wasn't a need to speak, not at that point. They only wanted to just feel each other's presence, to have that rock of silence and peace. Lifting the scroll up, he responded quickly.

_Yes, she is. Also, I'm going to try and figure out what caused the robberies. From what I can guess what happened earlier today, the fight between Blake and Weiss was started because of those Dust Robberies. We've got 2 weeks off school before classes. I'm going to investigate. Think you can keep yourselves out of trouble without your leader? I'm going to try and sneak into the locations, pick up any evidence I can. It's better if I go solo for now, less chance of getting caught._

He barely had a moment to explain what Sun was planning before his Scroll buzzed. But before he could answer, Blake shook her head.

"No, no... I'll be-"

"Blake... go with Sun. I'm not asking you as a leader, but as your friend. We might not talk much, but you are a part of Team RWBY-"

"Not for long... I need to explain something to you. But do you think you can wait a few days? I need... I need to think. I'll give you my scroll number... If you do that, if you promise me a few days to think, I'll go with Sun," she said calmly. Her eyes looked into his, as he considered his words. If he tried to explain that he could guess what she was thinking, she might get angry, or even worse, freak out and run away. With a tap of his chin, he made his choice, as Hisode nodded his head.

"Blake... I want you to know that you've got a friend here. There's no reason to just run away. We're here for ya. Weiss might be... angry or something, and Yang might be a tease, but Ruby sees you as just an important friend. A blind idiot like me can see that. If you need a break from everyone, that's fine... but all I'm asking is that you go with someone who can be trusted. I want you to go with-"

"With me, right?" With that, the sound of a pair of sneakers impacting the ground echoed around them. Sun Wukong, standing with his arms crossed and a smile on his face, looked between them. Together, Blake and Hisode nodded, with the latter smiling a bit.

"And stay safe. I'm going to investigate. Something is wrong here... Why would there be a robbery involving the White Fang? Why would they want so much dust? This makes no sense," Hisode spoke up, his hand cupping his chin. Thoughts plagued his mind, filling it with theories about what could possibly be driving the possible terrorists to do such a thing. "This makes almost no sense... This is a serious case, and if the police can't handle it, it is up to a huntsman to handle the job. Though it'll be difficult, I need to make sure things are not even more conflicting. And that means leaving without-"

"Going without us," came a voice, as Kamohoa and Osirius stepped past the statues to stand with their leader, one arm wrapped around his shoulder, while Osirius stood beside Penny. For once, Hisode felt his annoyance grow, as people kept interrupting him. Before he could say anything, however, Kamohoa pointed to his scroll... and that's when he got it: They'd messaged they were coming after him.

"Penny, can you tell RWBY what we're planning? Wait until tomorrow, they might very well need a day to themselves, to soothe their tempers," Osirius softly said, as he glanced over and held up a hand gesture: The closed fist with fingers slightly spread open as much as possible. The Atlesian sign of "holding info". It meant that there was something to discuss in another time.

"Alright... Blake, just try and get your head straight.. Come on, BCKM. We're on the case. And this time, I think we'll go in style." With that, Hisode blew out a nervous, but strong breath and swung his leg over Cin, straddling himself into the saddle carefully. Kamohoa snorted and looked at him with a tilted brow.

"No offense, leader, but our asses are not gonna-" was all he got out, before Hisode pressed down on one of the compartments against Cin's neck base. In seconds, the mechorse gave a loud whinny, rearing backward, as a wheel sprung from between the forelegs. A second wheel swung down from the middle of her underside to the back. Extending outward, the wheel locked into place, before Cin's legs folded themselves against her body, forming into large foot holds. Her tail swung over his head, forming into a large protective top, splitting in half and withdrawing her drill end inside. As her head folded around toward the back, it quickly opened in the back to expose a small seat-rest, turning into a backrest under the covering to lean into. In seconds, Cin had gone from a horse mode to an oversized motorcycle, complete with two spots for his team.

"...Holy. Fucking. Shit. Just when I think you've done something insane like building a mechanical horse, you turn around and make the horse a fucking bike... a badass fucking bike!" Whistling and laughing, Kamohoa stepped over to the left side, and his feet slid into the footholds, which helped to lock him in place. Osirius, taking a bit of time to steady his nerves, climbed to the opposing holds and clung. As the engine revved, Hisode looked over to Blake.

"We'll meet up in a few days... Right now, something strange is going on in Vale, and we need to figure it out. If it IS the White Fang... well, if it's not, we'll have one less culprit. Just keep in touch, Blake." With that, he and the rest of BCKM raced down the pathway, toward Vale.

* * *

Clue-collecting, it turned out, was a bigger pain in the ass than Kamohoa first believed.

It had been cool, to be honest, to go racing around on the new bike, but after you got smacked in the head with a branch every other half an hour, it would get annoying to go back to school, get some rest, then head back to Vale after dodging questions from RWY, and get thwacked in the jaw by a pine branch every ten fucking seconds. He'd tried to get Hisode to switch with him, so he could avoid having needles in his teeth, but their "glorious" leader refused out of the principle of "I ain't letting my baby get hurt."

As it was, they were inside one of the dust shops, using their scrolls to seek out any evidence they could find. The lights of three different screens hovering over messy ground, with six feet all trying to avoid either ruining a clue or stepping over any possible foot prints that might not fit with the rest, made for a dazzlingly distracting display. Of all the shops that had been attacked, only two had not been renovated, which meant that the clues in those stores were long gone. It was honestly starting to tick him off with how little they'd found. No scraps of cloth, no usable footprints, not even-

"Hold the Scroll... guys, over here!" Hisode's hand waved over in one corner, crouched low and giving a soft whisper-shout. The duo, seeing him crouched, moved to his side, kneeling down as he pointed the glow of his scroll down at the floor.

Crushed, long used up, and no longer containing the horrible stench of the contents, but the cigar still had a red band around it. A red band with a gold trim, no less.

"Looks like something that Torchwick fellow smoked, according to you and Ruby," he muttered, glancing up to Osirius. Immediately, they sealed it inside of one of their plastic baggies, bought from the school's necessity shops, before the largest teen began to run through a list on his scroll for any possible matches. Kamohoa, taking a sniff of the air, gave a frown.

"Hold on, I used to offload these back with the bandits. They're Mantle-style cigars. The only places that sell this kind of brand would be over in Atlas, or in black markets. They're not cheap at the best of times, and if it's a black market deal, then the guy probably is fucking loaded... how rich is this Torchwick guy supposed to be? And let's say it IS him... You all heard the cops, they left the money and only took the dust. What, is Torchwick going to make an army and... what?" Kamohoa frowned and stood up, heading toward the back door to where they'd slipped through the window.

"According to the databases of the criminals still sought out in Vale, Roman Torchwick is a criminal mastermind of a large empire. He's regarded as owning 88 percent of the black market shares in Vale, meaning that he probably doesn't need to pay for those cigars. Probably collects them as a "tax" or compensation..." Osirius frowned, his eyes locked into his scroll as he rattled off a list. The trio, hopping through the window from the back of the story, glanced around slowly for cops.

"So... it looks like it's possible that Torchwick is involved. Now the question is, where do we go from here? He's after Dust, that's all we know... Most of the shops are down, and the only places that have it left are so well armored, I'm sure not even Torchwick is that dumb to get them," Hisode queried. His hand slid into his jacket, pulling out the small packet from the interior pocket before his other hand reached toward his lighter. "What we need is some kind of idea where they MIGHT strike next. Some kind of-"

Out of the blue, Hisode's scroll buzzed to life. Kamohoa, giving a start, rapidly twisted around to check and see if one of those donut dunking dickheads had heard, even though none were around them. As he did so, he watched as Hisode brought the scroll up to his ear.

"Hisode Byzantine... Hey, Blake. You feeling alright? What? … Um... Yea, we're in town right now. We were investigating the shop over b-... Ah. Uhh... I don't think we've been... seen..." Slowly, he turned toward the side, and looked toward a cafe, where the bow-wearing babe and Sun, that monkey-tailed mother fucker, were sitting on the balcony. She lifted her hand up slowly and waved, with her other hand holding the scroll to her human ear.

"...Well, looks like I'll be seeing if they sell booze at this place. Gods do I need a drink..." Kamohoa brushed past his team, heading up to the cafe with a small smirk on his face.

In moments, the five were sat around a table, with BCKM sitting around the group. Blake and Hisode sat on one side, with the former drinking a cup of Mistral Grey, while the teen male sipped on a cup of Firekisser. Judging by the fact his eyes kept shooting open, and sometimes twitched side to side, there was some kind of speed fuckery in the tea. That was why Kamohoa himself had chosen a massive frappuccino, and Osirius sipped on his glass of water. Neither one of them needed to have a blitz on their minds. Especially when Blake opened her mouth, and began her story.

* * *

Osirius, Sun, Hisode, and Kamohoa just stared in abject shock at Blake. The girl watched them all as each of them absorbed the knowledge that, for a few months now, she had been apart of the White Fang. That she'd been a part of the movement for, as she had more or less put it, her entire life. After a few moments, during which she sipped her tea, her yellow eyes looked into each of their gazes before she gave a sigh.

"So... I left. I decided that I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress. So here I am... A criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow." As she said the last part, she gazed up, and they did as well, watching as her ears twitched, moving the bow just slightly.

"...Uh... well, that, uh..." Osirius, looking as shocked as ever, frowned. He should have been the one to be the most angry, considering his past, and yet, he didn't look upset at all. In fact, he looked as if he were more sad.

"Hmm... Well, can't say I'm totally happy. Actually, I'm kind of pissed off," Kamohoa said, tilting his head back and slurping down his tea loudly. Blake's eyes turned to him, waiting for him to denounce her, to call her vile names, to- "You've had shit like this going on for who knows how fucking long, and you're only now telling us? It's no secret that I hate people who hide shit, you jackass. You're a fucking moron, just like Jaune. After we get you all back together and we talk this shit out at Beacon, I'm getting you a goddamn bell."

Blake just stared in shock. He didn't do anything she'd expected, even under his cursing. In fact, he seemed... more at ease than anything. Her gaze turned to Hisode, who smiled a bit. But before he spoke, Sun was the one to answer.

"So... you gonna tell the others about this? This isn't something you can keep from your partners. Or is that why you ran off from them a few nights ago?" Sun's eyes looked at hers, a serious look that Kamohoa looked at with a look of understanding. He looked... almost like he was proud of Sun. Was there more to their history? After all, when he'd first shown up, it was the bandaged teen who'd rushed off to find him. But even as she took in the words, she felt a question bubble up in her mind. One that she felt was more important than anything else

"...Will they accept me afterward? Can you all?" Blake's voice shook ever so slightly, as she tried to compose herself while asking. Fear crept in, despite all her efforts, and she could only feel as the many stares of judgement fell on her. But then she felt a hand slide over and hold hers. Bandaged, completely covered up, many colored stains having long lingered over the bandages despite claims he changed them daily, they gripped her hand as Hisode grinned at her, some of his hair falling over his face.

"Hey... We're Team BCKM. We stand with Team RWBY and JNPR. That's Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Nora, Ren, Pyrrha, Jaune... and that also includes you, Blake. No one can change the past, but the future is an open book full of amazing and wonderful times... and if that means having you as a friend, along with Sun and Penny? I'm looking forward to it." With that, he hooked his pinky to hers. Sure enough, Kamohoa and Sun moved theirs in as well, holding them together, before a metal hand slid in as well.

"Lady Weiss is going to be extremely upset... but if you promise that you are on the side of good, I will work alongside you, Miss Belladonna," Osirius spoke calmly, looking up to her yellow eyes with his own pale green orbs. Blake could barely keep her face from breaking into a smile, even as she lifted a hand up to wipe her eyes.

"Barely talked to me... and you all would trust me like this? I..."

"But first," Hisode said, lifting his scroll up and putting it on the table. "We need to talk to the others. What's more, we also investigated that shop, before you called... Found one of the cigars that was the same type that, according to Osirius and Ruby, Roman Torchwick smoked. So now, the question is, what is he after? Cuz it all seems to be about Dust. What is he after? Where is he going next?"

"Maybe he's just after Dust. But if that's the case, then I have an idea where he might hit next," Sun replied, leaning forward into the conversation. "I overheard the guys on the ship talking about some massive Schnee Dust Company delivery coming to the docks. It sounded big."

"How big are we talking here?" Kamohoa slid on his arm as he rested his chin within his hand, before he stared toward the teen. However, before he could speak, Osirius nodded a bit in thought.

"Most likely to be at least several shipping containers. With the train lines being hit, they'd move for their shipping lanes to be focused on the ocean. The Grimm might attack like they do for trains, but it'd be slower. As it is, they'd very much put all the Dust they could fit onto that ship, if not several ships. You'd hear stories about those who got tasked with helping out Schnee Corp operations as a student, and over time you'll learn how things work."

Nodding, everyone sat back in their chair, except for Blake, who was in thought, and Hisode, who lifted his scroll up.

"Think it's time we call in the cavalry, Blake?" Her eyes looked up toward the dual-colored orbs he had, a smile on his face as he held out his scroll to her. Taking it into her hand, she took a slow breath and gulped.

Her thumb opened the contacts menu, and tapped on the one called "_Rose, Ruby._"

* * *

"_Are you sure this is the right spot?_"

"Yes, Ruby. Just have to-"

"_Calm down, you dunce! If you don't stop fidgeting, you'll make it more likely we'll be seen by whomever might show up! I am not losing my family's product if I can help it!_"

"_Icy-pop, chill the fuck out!_"

Hisode sighed, flexing his grip on Ebony. Standing behind one of the shipping crates, he glanced over toward the spot where Blake and Sun were leaning over a roof, out of sight for anyone who'd come from the road. It had been more than a little anger inducing when Weiss and Blake had met outside and the Schnee launched into an angry rant at the girl... before saying how she didn't care that she was a White Fang member, but she DID care that the bow-wearing girl had chosen to run away like a criminal. Blake, after the girls talked it out, wanted to know who was stealing the dust, and that if it was the White Fang, why.

It was why, throughout the docks, BCKM, RWBY, and Penny (who'd taken to Ruby like a duck to water) were in position to track down Roman, IF it was him. Even if it wasn't him, whoever had been stealing the dust from the shops couldn't resist such a large stash, according to Kamohoa.

_'If they were smart, they'll bring along a fucking garbage truck. Nobody ever wants to deal with that shit stank, so they'll sneak out of here with a huge load of it, and no one will get close enough to see,'_ he explained as they had prepared for the stake out. Currently, Weiss and Osirius had taken up a spot overlooking the road, with the oversized Faunus having to hide inside of one container with Weiss under him, to help hide her from view due to her pure-white dress. Yang, meanwhile, was sat outside of the shutters for a boat repair shop, her Ember Celicas fully prepared to punch through any and all targets. Ruby and Penny sat atop the warehouse, leaning into the shadows as they spied through her Crescent Rose's Scope.

"_Snrt... That was a good one, Kamohoa_," came Yang's voice through the Scroll. Instead of an answer, everyone could hear as Kamohoa groaned, before the sound of flesh slapping flesh was heard.

They'd set them up as a way for each of them to talk and pass information, a seven-way call that acted as replacement earpieces. Making a mental note to build some, Hisode tilted to one side, giving a sigh as he looked over the road. They'd been standing in the docks since the evening, watching as the night guard had left go home at what felt like midnight, and now it was approaching 2am. There were no cars, no people, no one outside. Just the occasional bird that flew through the air, the sound of the water against the stilts of the dock, a Bullhead in the air that was travelling at stealth, and two empty bars that were closed for the night due to-

Hisode's eyes snapped suddenly as he looked back up. Indeed, it WAS a Bullhead... and it was heading for the docks!

"Everyone, look alive. We've got a Bullhead incoming! Find sky cover and then stick to the shadows!" Following his own advice, the teen slipped between a pair of containers, just barely squeezing into place. The roar of the engines filled the air as the massive machine landed, its sound-reduction flaps having folded away to prevent stalling. The sound over his scroll was muffled as everyone moved into their hiding spots. After the sound of metal thunking, Hisode sunk down to a crouch and poked his head out slowly.

Out of the Bullhead, a lone figure came out with a pistol at his side. As he motioned back to more people within the Bullhead, who marched out and began heading toward the shipping containers, they finally got a good view of who had been planning things out. Dressed in black hoods, white vestments, and even armored, they struck imposing figures. Worse, they wore white masks similar to a Grimm's bone-coating. The outfits that were standard for the White Fang.

"_No_..." Blake's voice came through his scroll, shock and sadness mixing into her voice. And yet, the way she said it, Hisode couldn't help but think how resigned she sounded. One of the men shouted for the group to grab tow cables, as more Bullheads began to appear.

"_Now do you see, Blake? The White Fang are a bunch of-_" was all Weiss got out, before a new voice broke through the night.

"Hey! What's the hold up!? We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, SO why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?" Out of the vehicle, with a white jacket and black clothing, a red-headed figure stepped out. Atop his head was a black bowler's hat with a red stripe, one black and gray feather resting on the edge. In his hand was a black cane, which he twirled in one hand as he walked. Obviously, it wasn't needed for walking, so it had to be a weapon.

"_This isn't right,_" Blake again, only now her voice was more stern, a timbre of anger coursing through her normal tone as she spoke. "_The White Fang would never work with a human, especially not one like that!_" Hisode's gaze dipped over toward where she and Sun had been hunkered... and he watched as she withdrew her sword.

"Oh crap," he said under his breath, moving quietly over the crates toward them. "Blake, do NOT do what I think you're about to do. I'm warning you, this is a bad-!" But it was too late, as she stepped over the ledge and dashed into the shadows, moving behind the crates to avoid one of the moving persons. Yang stepped out from behind the ledge, as Hisode dropped down from his spot and slid down to his own hiding spot.

"_What did she do? Hello?!_" Weiss' voice crackled, too loudly for his tastes. As Hisode slapped his hand over the end call button, as Yang followed suit, the two watched as one of the terrorists pointed his gun over toward their location. Slowly, he stepped over to them, as Hisode let a slew of mental curses for what Blake had done. But as he watched, he saw the man slowly walking toward Yang's location, his hand raising. If she didn't move, which she couldn't and not be heard, she'd be spotted... so Hisode slid in to one of his old tricks.

The White Fang member barely had time to register before the violet haired teen wrapped one arm around his torso, with his other hand slamming down tightly over his mouth, choking off any form of speech or cry he could have offered. Using all his force, Hisode dragged him behind a container, before the sound of rapid punches to the body, kicks, and finally a small **THUNK**. Walking off the side, he glanced up to her and nodded.

Quick as a flash, he stepped back over and glanced to Yang, who smiled and winked at him, giving a thumbs up. Despite the danger, he returned the grin and threw his own up. Maybe it wasn't so bad. Maybe they'd finally get to see what was-

"Nobody move!" Oh, Gods-damn you Blake. Hisode and Yang shared a face palm, moving to stand at the corner of the containers. Across the way, Weiss, Osirius, and Kamohoa had taken up spots, each wielding their weapons as well. Ahead, down the pathway, Blake stood between the White Fang and the Bullhead, her sword pressed up to Torchwick's neck. Her eyes glared daggers at them, as Sun moved to step over with Hisode, wielding a pair of nunchucks.

"Whoa, take it easy there, little lady..." Torchwick began, as Blake used her free hand to pull her bow off and expose her cat-like ears. Even without the call on

"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?" Her eyes darted between the group of Faunus Terrorists, her eyes glancing over them as they adjusted their weapons, either relaxing their swords or lowering their guns.

"Heh... Oh, kid. Didn't cha get the memo?"

"What are you talking about?" Her voice was growing angrier, and Hisode lifted up both guns, preparing to flip them into Sword modes when needed, as Yang pressed into his back. If he wasn't focused on the task at hand, he would have almost relished in the feeling of her breasts pressing into his back. As it was, he ducked slightly lower, a nervous gulp escaping his throat.

"Eh, the White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together..."

"Tell me what it is, or else I'll put an end into your operation..." Her voice finally provoked Hisode. She sounded murderous, and despite every nerve in his brain telling him no...

"Blake! We don't kill these people! You are NOT a murderer! Don't you go down that pathway, there's no going back!" Moving into the open, he gritted his teeth, aiming his guns as best as he could. Behind him, he heard as the others moved to cover him.

The moment Blake was distracted by his voice, Roman moved. His cane immediately swung up, knocking the girl backward as the criminal dashed into the group of White Fang.

"Well, well, Kitten's got a pack on her side! I see the Schnee heiress, a mummy, and a monkey! What a delightful cast of characters! Too bad you little brats are fucking with experienced killers! Right, remember everyone: No witnesses!" With that, he raised his cane toward Blake, the end popping an aiming sc-

Kamohoa's Propel-powered fist crashed into Roman's side, as he grinned angrily.

"That's for wearing Remnant's biggest douchebag hat! And this... is for calling me a Mummy!" The second fist slammed into Roman's stomach, sending him backward into a group of crates. "The name's Kamohoa Yale, motherfucker!" His grin faded, however, as the White Fang turned their guns toward him. "...Aw, fuck me."

Suddenly, a trio of gun shots put down two of the White fang, the third one blasting off the larger assault rifle. Above, standing on the rooftop with her boot pressed on the ledge, Ruby grinned and waved at him, before aiming her next shots at the ground around him to scatter more of them.

"Nicely done, Red! Now... Time to kick some wannabe Smooth-Criminal having ass!" Kamohoa dashed after Roman, who only growled and began dashing off. In hot pursuit, with his gun-chucks prepared and firing at the man, Sun followed along with Blake, her Gambol Shroud prepared in sword forms. Above them, as more members of the White Fang appeared out of their sides, more Bullheads rose into the air and began to fire shots down at the group.

Hisode and Yang barely dodged out of the gunfire in time, with the girl landing on his chest after one explosive pushed her forcefully into the air. Another blast slammed into Hisode's feet, sending the two of them into the side of a container. A horrible glance upward saw his guns, Ebony and Ivory, were shattered from the impact. Having been so consumed with designing new objects, he had forgotten to care for the remnants of his old life, and now they lay broken, useless to him.

They barely had time to register their position before more goons landed at their side, guns raised. Immediately, Hisode pulled Yang behind him, shielding her with his own form. There was no way to dodge, but there was something they could do. Something that _HE_ could do. It would mean, however, exposing his one greatest secret... the secret that he'd hidden for years.

"Yang... Do you trust me? Will you promise not to hate me?"

"What are you talking about? We have to-!"

"Just... tell me the truth. Will you promise me?" His eyes flicked over the approaching guards. Their fingers traveled toward the trigger, about to open fire. The air stood still, as he heard the voices of his friends all around him muffle in terror and rage. Weiss looked over in shock, trying to arm a glyph, while Osirius raced to save them. Ruby and Penny were jumping down off the warehouse, but it was too late.

"...You're my best friend. I trust you, Hisode, and I could never hate you. Just don't die." The words were never more clear, as he rose his arms up and crossed them over his chest. It was going to have to be quick while he did this, and he was out of practice doing it, a trick not done it in years. Not to mention what changes this would bring to his friends. And yet, he felt the focus come into his mind, returning as easily as someone going for a walk after a day of resting. As the guns fired, Hisode braced for the impact, as his vest rapidly zipped down.

The explosion of the multiple gunfire shot massive amounts of pulverized concrete into the air. Yang, of course, was save from harm, screaming his name inaudibly. The goons, thinking he'd sacrificed himself, readied to fire at the blonde brawler... until a huge tail lashed and struck one of the guards across the chest hard. Screaming in both pain and shock, he was flung backward into the other wall, landing with a sickening thunk.

One of the goons, looking back in shock, raised his pistol up at where it'd come from... but out of the cloud, a black hand shot forward. Except it was no hand. Hands didn't have ball-like "joints" that extended skeletal-looking fingers that ended in sharp, nightmare-like claws. No human had hands like that, the texture of the skin... No, not skin. It was glossy, black, and as it crushed the barrel of the gun, it proved its strength. The Faunus stared in horror as the claws ripped the gun from his hand, and tossed it down. Two more hands swung out and grabbed the rifle out of the middle goon's arms, before a THIRD arm lashed out. All three... no, 5. No, there was another!

Six. Six black, skeletal-like arms, ending in horrifying looking claws, attached to a single body. The top two arms were at the shoulder, like any normal humanoid. But the second pair were further down, resting against where his ribs would end, near the middle of his torso. The final pair of arms were lowest, just above his kidneys. He'd cast off his vest and the hoodie, letting his torso go bare for all six of his arms, but they were not the only addition that became exposed to group.

Swinging behind him, easily long enough to slash through the air like a cobra, was a black colored scorpion tail, hanging over one side of his shoulder. Judging from how their comrade was not even moving, he'd been struck hard enough to have every last bit of wind knocked out of his body. The tip of the tail, the stinger, was glinting in the moonlight, looking as deadly as a dagger. Behind him, Yang just stared with shock.

Hisode's eyes closed in resignation, as he saw her glancing over him. However, knowing the enemy was in front of him, he turned his attention toward the group of White fang before him. Reaching up with one claw, he pulled the tie of his hair, snapping it off and letting his bushy violet hair curl against the nape of his neck. He'd gone from looking the part of a withdrawn boy to a near-feral beast. And then...

"You want to attack me, that's fine... but you wanna hurt my friends? NOW I'M PISSED!"

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Yang stared in shock, her eyes locked on Hisode's form. Never in all her time had she expected to see a half dressed boy and NOT want to oogle him. Not that he wasn't fit, but the situation they were in currently was negating all forms of her oogling brain parts. Instead, she was more drawn to what parts that didn't involve his slightly pale, athletic skin... or rather, the human parts.

Her eyes slid across the black, glossy coating that covered his arms and his... claw-hands. The first thing she'd assume was that he just had more armor under the bandages, but when you got close to his skin, the color difference easily showed the reaching cracks and vein-like dregs that pulled into his body. His shoulders were where the human and the Faunus parts met, as they did for his sides, quickly fading into the skin. Down his spine, near where he'd have a tailbone, that dangerous looking tail of his swung slowly, coiled over his body and aiming around the 5 remaining goons ahead of them.

What confused her, for a moment, was how he'd stopped all the shots. At first, it was almost impossible to know... until she noticed the bullet holes in the concrete by his feet. The dust bullets were dented in different ways, not by their tips, but by their sides. When Yang's eyes lifted up to his arms... she SAW the smoke coming off his arms. Had he... had be blocked every one of the bullets with those strange looking arms of his? The fact that his bandages over his arms had been shredded and now lay fluttering by his feet sure gave the clue.

Yet for all the shock of seeing Hisode, the shy and sweet guy that he was, looking like Remnant's most dangerous Faunus, Yang was torn between how utterly pants-crapping scary he might look... and how metal and hardcore he actually looked.

"Yang... Are you alright?" His voice was still the same, as he tilted his head to look at her. She had a brief instant to look up into his purple toned eye, still bewildered by how he looked... and immediately, he seemed to recoil from it. "...I'm sorry."

Before she could voice her thoughts, however, one of the White Fang goons rushed forward, holding a sword in his hands. Hisode's attention snapped immediately, as he grappled with the man. Two arms clung to his wrists, forcing the sword back, before four more fists began to pummel his stomach and chest with rapid strikes against him. It took a moment for Yang to catch on, as after one particular strike that sent one of the goons flying, the next goon was being struck faster than they could retrieve or grapple for more, but eventually, she realized that he wasn't just brawling.

Hisode was striking them in a fast paced, fist-drumming rhythm of "music". He was LITERALLY Beat-Boxing them back! But his attention would often get distracted during his attacking, meaning he'd left himself wide open. Yang, on the other hand, saw as one of the goons ripped out one of his pistol from his belt, aiming a shot right into his back. With a growl of anger, she pulled her fist back and punched out a blast, easily striking the man in the chest and sending him back as the violet haired, recently-outed Faunus stepped back to uppercut his own target, which led to a knock out. Immediately, their backs pressed to each other as they concentrated on the goons.

"Thank you for that, Yang. I'm sorr-"

"Focus on beating these guys back. We can talk after," she returned, sensing both his immediate gratitude, and the tone of worry under it. She wasn't sure what went through his mind, but the first thing that they had to focus on was not dying to a bunch of terrorists. Ahead of them, battling their own groups, Weiss, Osirius, Ruby, and Penny had moved on their own groups, trying to stop them from launching sneaky shots, or from rushing after Torchwick.

"Osirius! Go after Kamohoa, he's going to need back up, and so will Blake and Sun! That Torchwick guy is the leader, he'll have the most information!" Blocking two fists with his arms, Hisode looked over to the tallest teen, who gave a nod and, after bowling over the group that tried to block his path, dashed forward past the containers, a look of fierce determination on his face. Yang, meanwhile, sent another one of the White Fang goons backward with one of her explosive contact shots, ducking down when she saw Hisode's tail curl back. Immediately, his whip-like limb slammed into the chest of two others, sending them the opposite way.

As they fought, they heard a loud explosion, before Yang saw Blake and Sun sailing over the containers. With shock scrawled over her face, she raced over and caught the black haired girl, settling her back against the container wall, while Hisode flipped Sun onto his feet. The monkey Faunus stumbled and grunted, looking winded and exhausted, before collapsing beside Blake.

"Hah... So...son of a bitch, he fights nasty... Kamohoa... he's..." Sun tried to talk, grunting with effort, but Hisode held him down with one arm. Despite the look of shock on his face, as well as the girl's, Hisode spoke calmly and slowly.

"Don't worry about it. I sent Osirius over there. I have a feeling we might not have a total wash tonight..."

* * *

Kamohoa stalked atop the containers, holding out Rock as Salt was lifted up near his head. Having switched both to their Shotgun forms, the Shark Faunus chewed back a bit of apprehention as he frowned. He'd seen Sun and Blake hit by the Dust Shell, as Roman cackled like a bastard. Biting down against his lip, his aura not able to protect against injuring himself and thus drawing blood as he did so, he needed a plan. But the way Roman was distracted... the son of a bitch was smoking a cigar!

With a growl, he stepped up to the ledge and readied a shot right at Roman, ready to blow that stupid fucking hat right off his stupid fucking head. Unfortunately, as he did so, the moonlight cast his shadow. A shadow that the red-headed criminal fucker saw.

"Who the fuck are you!?"

"YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE, BUTT-HORN!" And with that, he opened fire, shooting rapid-fire shots down at the man. It wasn't his greatest line, but he was prone to losing his ability to make logical insults when he was pissed off. Harming his best friend since Vacuo? Not a bad way to do that. Shot after shot, he fired down at the criminal, who barely ducked behind a forklift in time. Jumping off the containers, Kamohoa slowly marched toward the spot.

"So, after a kitten and a monkey, they send a cyclopes after me? You kids just get weirder and weirder... But hey, it's not like you're a threat. After all, I'm sure I've got quite a few advantages over you, like depth perception!" Torchwick's voice called out, echoing through the metal and concrete battleground. Kamohoa gritted his teeth.

"Yea, I'm sure you've got all kinds of badass lines about having two eyes. But guess what I got? A bigger dick, for one! Why not ask your wife!?"

"Never married, son! Too much crime, not enough women who wouldn't stab me in the back! Besides, I've got enough women troubles with a little lady of my own. Speaking of whom, I've got to make this quick, and then find her a nice tub of ice cream, or she's going to be angry. And knowing that little scamp, well... I'd rather not see my favorite hats get destroyed," the criminal prick's voice added, suddenly right behind him. Kamohoa barely had time to activate his aura to block the first shell, bracing for the shot from behind, before he was sent flipping forward. However, prepared as he was, he did find a way to land on his feet, flicking his guns up-

The second shot crashed into his chest, sending him backward into a concrete barrier. The fact that he didn't immediately have a snapped spine from it was a miracle, but he was going to feel the pain from fucking up his back for a few weeks. Gritting his teeth, he lifted Rock up toward Roman, who was already lunged out of the way. His shot was sent flying upward, missing entirely, when the cane swung from below and cracked into his elbow. Another slam from the cane's hook slapped across his face, causing him to go sprawling over the ground. He barely had time to register his Aura cracking to signal the end of its use before he felt a polished boot come crashing forward into his gut.

"GUH!" The guttural grunt that escaped his lips was full of the agony from being struck, but he still tried to stand up. The attempt failed, however, when Torchwick's cane spun in a circle and struck him three times in the neck, the kidney, and finally his solar plexus. Gasping and coughing for air, Kamohoa tried to back up and fire a shot at the man's head, but the next snap of the cane rammed against the side of his chin. Dazed, he could feel his blood pumping through the bruised up veins, before he dropped to his knees and gave a gurgle, leaning against a concrete divider. Above him, Torchwick lifted his cane, ready to bring it down right against his temple.

However, the moment he tried to swipe, he couldn't even budge the cane. The two looked over... and Kamohoa only grinned.

"Bout time you worked that over sized, muscle-brained, Soldier Boy-havin' ass got over here. I've got him on the fuckin ropes," he grinned, spitting out a glob of blood and phlem. He was pretty sure that there was going to be part of a tooth in that mess, but it wasn't a total certainty. If he did, he'd have another reason to beat the shit out of Smooth Criminal for more cash. He'd need a replacement for the missing part, and that cost him Lien he didn't have yet.

Osirius looked down at him, before turning to Torchwick with an angry, cold glare. It was the first time he'd ever seen the teen look... actually menacing. It was a shock, to say the least. Sure, they argued and they talked shit, but at the end of the day, Kamohoa and Osirius could handle the barbs and taunts tossed at each other. It's how they handled their shit. This, however? This was the first time that he'd seen the big guy get angry.

And it didn't look good.

* * *

Osirius felt the grip of frost-bitten anger pour into mind. For the first time in years, all his soldier training had fled. It ran, leaving the emotions that he'd stuffed away to run free, and when they had, they'd congealed into a single iron-clad focus. It took a single, slow breath in, then outward to purge the unintentional hate from his mind. In the attempt, however, Roman Torchwick had turned to stare... which resulted in the cigar from his lips dropping along with his jaw.

"Holy shit... Someone's been eating his steroid-infused protein shakes." he said with a bit of a shocked look. His single eye, covered by what looked like mascara, was wider than a tea saucer. Osirius, giving a frown, felt his fingers slightly loosen. The motion was just enough for Roman to tug his cane from the grasp of his metal hand, before rearing it back to slam down on his stomach. Immediately, his cane went flying backward out of his hand, the force of his aura mixed with an impulsive stomach curling crunch that flexed the weapon away.

"...Ah... well, let's see how you like this!" Roman's fist reared back, slamming right the same spot, before Osirius could notice him trying. He barely felt the attack... but Roman crumpled to the ground, yelling in pain. "Haaaahahahaha- Owww! Fucking OW! Holy jumping bastards, what in the name of the seven Grimm infested hells of Atlas do you eat, you jackass? Solid rock with a side of concrete and lead?!"

"No. A balanced diet of grains, vegetables, fruits, and protein. Recommend by the Atlesian Dietary Board of Health for Militia Patrol," he responded, keeping his voice even tempered as he slid the jacket off his body. For years, he'd kept the warmth of the jacket close, one of the many gifts that he'd received from the good lady Feijoa Fuschisa. She'd given him so many, and as he set the jacket aside, onto the ledge of a barricade, he remembered how she reacted to seeing him dressed. How she smiled and laughed, calling him the Greenest Grunt. How she was so proud of him when he learned how to topple a tree with his shoulders. How she looked, smiling, before death claimed her.

His metal fingers pulled the zipper of his vest, still as steel gray with the two-finger-wide white stripe that ran down the vest and around the collar as the day he'd been given it as a gift, down slowly, letting it fall away and expose the well maintained, chocolate-dark tone of his skin, as well as the muscles that tensed as he moved into the first stance of Atlesian Crusher, a form of unarmed combat unpopular due to its slow strikes, but brutal when they struck. It suited him just fine, when he had to fight hand to hand.

Roman took one look at the large teen preparing to strike and...

"FUCK THIS!" Turning tail, the criminal thief turned and bolted for his cane, grabbing it before making a break for the nearest of the Bullheads. He would have made it, had Osirius not prepared for the event, lifting Regretful Poseidon as it morphed into the cannon state, and fired a single explosive cannonball. The strike exploded with enormous sound, both due to its own power and the explosive end of the Bullhead. Thankfully, there had been no one inside of the ship... but there was a smoking crater where the ship had been.

Torchwick, meanwhile, skidded to a halt, his visible eye half closed with an inaudible grumble, before he turned toward Osirius with that bargain-hunting eye of his.

"Weeeelll, this looks pretty bad... So what do you say we have this out like gentlemen? Say over some coffee at-"

"No."

"Ah... well, why don't we just take a second to ju-just calm down..." Roman's feet slowly moved him backward, as Osirius stalked toward him. However, the militant teen only frowned and continued his moving, ignoring his pleas...until he saw Roman's eyes shift down ever so slightly.

He barely had a moment to register to attempt, before Roman's finger pulled the trigger of his cane, firing a blast right at their feet. The explosive shell kicked up enough force to cause him to stumble back, before Roman ran forward with his cane to strike at his head. Instinct kicking in, he lifted one arm up and blocked the shot with his forearm. Roman's eye narrowed as he grunted and tried to force the cane down more... before stopped at the view of something across the arm.

"What...? _'Never forget that__ true light is never lost, and a life never truly ends, only transcends to a place we've yet to explore__.' _But... but that was Fufu's... that's what I told her after her mother died. I... Where did you hear that!?" Roman's eyes turned much, much colder, as he gritted his teeth and aimed his cane right into his face. "TELL ME!"

"I learned it from my teacher. She told me that she learned it from her partner and the only man she ever loved. Feijoa Fuschisa was her name... and she was the best teacher I ever had. She taught me everything I could ever know, until the day she died," he answered honestly, watching the man's face. For several moments, neither dared to move. The criminal only stared with a cold, angry face, before he stepped back once. His aim didn't waiver, but he did move backward slowly.

"... So my little Fury Fighter became a teacher... And even she's gone," The way he spoke was... off. Subdued, for the first time. The two stood in silence, before Roman lowered his cane and glared.

"We'll speak again, but right now the cops are coming and I don't think I need to get busted by a bunch of school-snots," he growled, before bolting off. Osirius made to grasp for him, but as he did so, Kamohoa came into view: Aura broken, with a moderate concussion at least. The way he was having trouble moving one of his arms was a bad sign that he'd probably sprained it. Nothing that some aura healing couldn't fix in a day, but as it was, he'd better to be safe than sorrow. However, breaking view from Torchwick left the chance for the criminal to slip away from range. As he left, the hat-wearing criminal stopped beside a crate and looked at Osirius. "...You better fight damn good, kid. I won't have my partner being shamed by her student."

With that, he ducked behind the container and then there was a sound like breaking glass. Osirius rushed over, hoping to capture the man for interrogating, but could find nothing but strange pink shards all over the ground. For a moment, he frowned, before turning toward Kamohoa and sprinting over to his partner. Gingerly, he knelt down and began to examine all the injuries he'd sustained in the fight more thoroughly.

"Ugh... that fucker talked too much. You scared the shit outta him... Urgh... Gods, I think he really got me good..." Lifting the foul-mouthed Faunus up slowly, one arm acting as the lean-to for his good arm, the taller man had to hunch down for Kamohoa to even get a proper step. However, as they walked slowly, Osirius observed their different style of dressing, which became more apparent as his tail helped to grab both his vest and his jacket. It made him begin to smile at his partner's baggy dressing. They were so different, but in the end, Osirius had never felt so angry as to see his partner getting attacked. Perhaps they were good friends after all.

Sliding his jacket over his torso before putting his partner's arm around his shoulder, they started to walk back to the group, as Sirens filled the air.

"I believe we'll be getting an earful from Goodwitch for this."

"And yet, I don't give a flying fuck. Imagine that. Probably cuz I'm gonna get fuckin smashed with Sun, and then we're going to watch some movies... Gods, let there be some greasy ass food for us to stuff our faces."

* * *

Seeing Kamohoa as smashed up as he was, he should have known how the girls might have reacted. Sun and Blake were pulling themselves up off the ground, looking... for a lack of a better term, worse for wear. Her hair was frizzed and slightly burned from being blasted by one of the shots, while Sun's aura worked to heal up a tender red spot over his eye. Lifting one of his arms up with a chuckle, he waved to the group, even as he saw Ruby turned toward him.

"Hey everyone... guess who just kicked Torchwick's a-"

"KAMOHOA!"

"BWARGH!" The force of the 15 year old reaper using her Semblance to bum rush him was more than he'd ever expected. She'd gone full tilt right into Kamohoa's stomach, her arms wrapping around his neck as she crashed her slender body right into his own. The end result was that he'd gone flying over the concrete ground, tumbling and rolling ass-over-tea-kettle for a moment, with the Red themed girl clinging to him as though he were a life preserver in the middle of the sea.

"What happened!? Blake-and-Sun-were-saying-how-Roman-was-really-strong-and-you-might-not-survive-and-you-come-back-and-you're-all-bruised-and-I-wanted-to-go-help-but-the-White-Fang-jerks-kept-getting-in-the-way-so-I-couldn't-help-and-then-we-heard-a-really-big-explosion-and-now-you're-all-hurt-and-I'm-so-sorry-please-don't-die!" Ruby's voice went as fast as her Semblance, as Kamohoa blinked. He tried to pick apart the spaces in her words before very slowly giving a sigh.

"First off, little Red... I'm alright. I promise. Just... ya know, the son of a bitch got me with a cheap shot... But Sold-... Osirius here saved my ass. My aura is working to restore what it can. Speaking of them, how's Sunshine and Senseless?" He nodded his head toward Blake and Sun, who both had clambered up to their feet. As Ruby explained how she'd fought against the White Fang goons, Kamohoa couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth coming off the girl... something bubbling up, as he looked in her silver eyes.

"Heh, so how long are you two going to sit like that? Not that I want to break up the absolutely lovey-dovey air between you two..." Yang's voice crooned, a large smile forming over her face as she watched the two of them look at each other... and jump to their feet.

"N...no! I was just worried about Kamohoa! It isn't...!"

"Come on, Yang! She and I are just... Would you stop that fucking smirking!?" Kamohoa tried to grit his teeth, giving his most ferocious look, but as soon as he put pressure to his jaw, he gave a yelp and held his hand there, grunting slightly. Ruby immediately turned to him, pressing one of her hands to the side where it hurt. Of course the way his cheeks were heating up while she did so only made the blonde girl smile and begin to laugh.

"Damn it! It's not like that! Would you stop laughing?! Ruby, would you please back me up here?!" Yang only laughed harder, as Weiss and Osirius stood by each other, the taller teen giving a slight smile, while the Schnee palmed her face and shook her head. Ruby, meanwhile, was just as red looking as he felt, trying to hide her face under hood.

"Yaaaaaaang, we're just friends! Stop trying to compare us to you and Hisode! At least I'm not the one who tried to make out with him after he woke up in the hospital!" That did something, as she choked on her laugh and blinked at her sister in shock. Before they could get into a fight, however, Blake walked over slowly, with Weiss joining at a short distance. Around them, police officers moved and, upon spotting the members of White Fang, began to make arrests.

One of the officers, a man with thick side burns and a steely gaze, approached from one side. Immediately, Kamohoa felt his disdain for law enforcement build into a resistance of pain, but he bit back the bile that threatened to escape. For now. As annoyed as he was to deal with a guy who probably spent more time chomping on bacon and maple-syrup flavored donuts, rather than doing a damn thing to actually HELP people, Kamohoa knew he'd had trouble putting up a tough front when he felt like shit.

"Are you all involved with this? I will need to ask you all to come with us down to the station... is there any one else with you, besides you all?"

"Eh, yea, we're al- wait... where's Hisode and Penny? We're missing a team leader, and one of our friends," Kamohoa realized, glancing around with Ruby. Yang, meanwhile, blinked and glanced behind her, a deep frown on her face as she searched for his missing leader.

* * *

Leaning on the concrete wall of one of the warehouses with a frown, one of his hands pressed onto the surface, Hisode glanced around the shadowed area around him, watching as the police rounded up the members of White Fang. A frown formed over his face, having lost his chance to find out what they'd been planning. Worse, he'd done the one thing he'd promised he would never, ever do.

Glancing down, he studied the six arms that grew from his sides, as well as the slowly swaying tail behind him. Unbidden, a sigh slipped out of his lips as he folded the four lower arms against his chest, before his tail swung around his waist and tightened against his skin. Grasping hold of his hoodie, he slipped the concealing clothing around his torso, ready to fade into a crowd. Even as he tugged his vest around his shoulders, he had to bare the feeling of his fingers... claws, not fingers, almost ripping into the fabric with every tug.

How many times did he promise never to reveal them? How many times had he chosen to not allow his horrible monstrous nature to be shown? How could he break such a promise so easily? It wasn't like he even WANTED to be this... THING. He wanted to just be normal... either a normal Faunus, or even a human. He didn't want these things. Hisode's claws gripped into his palms, digging into the glossy chitin. He just wanted to stop-

"Hisode? There you are!"

Immediately, Yang's arms wrapped around his chest, as her body pulled up behind him. Turning his head, he began to stammer an apology for his appearance... but her smile, that dazzling smile of hers that he'd first seen at the beginning of their time in Beacon, utterly shook his brain into mush. Instead of an apology, he merely gave a gurgle, mumble, before ending with a dumbstruck "Buh..." But it was enough to make her look right up to his eyes and see his tinge of worry. In turn, that smile dropped into a frown, before she gently punched his shoulder.

"Hey, what's the matter? You saved my life AGAIN, you've helped out my partner, and you just showed how cool you look... I mean, I understand why you hid it and all, but seriously, you are pretty freaking cool! Never met someone like you before, and I have to say, you're really awesome! So why the long face, Hand-some?" The addition of her new nickname for him did bring a slight smile to Hisode, who pulled out of her grip slowly and stepped away from her.

"I just... I'm not normal, Yang. I'm a freak. I'm... I'm not a normal Faunus, and I'm not trying to say the obvious here. I'm talking that... I'm considered what other Faunus in Menagerie would say, 'A Cursed Faunus.' I... I shouldn't even BE alive, to be fair. I'm what mothers tell their children to fear. I'm the thing that they say comes into the night to steal the bad kids away. I'm a horrible thing that shouldn't-!"

Yang's arms pulled him back into a hug, but this time she added a slap on the back of his head as she did so.

"Don't you start telling ME who should or shouldn't exist. You're awesome, Hisode. I just said you saved my life. You've kept me alive when it was dangerous, even if you're an idiot when you make plans that might get you killed. You're not 'cursed' or whatever... unless you're like, cursed with being awesome. We're your friends, and if people start trying to make some dumb stories about you? Well, then we'll just have to prove everyone wrong. Now no more trying to hide from us. Come on, we gotta get back to Beacon. Swing by RWBY's room tomorrow. We want the truth, because we're your friends. Can you do that for us? For your best friend?" Her eyes looked up to his, bringing with them a lovely shine that made the stars above bloom just that little bit brighter. Or it could be from the slap that left him dazed.

Hisode and Yang just stood there, quietly, as he nodded and smiled. But before he could answer, he noticed how nice she felt, so close to him. They'd fought against a bunch of goons, people with guns... they could have hurt her. They could have ended her life, and then her spark, her warmth, would be gone forever. It made Hisode feel something... it made him scared. As the moments passed, more ideas came to his head, the idea not just Yang, but Ruby, Blake, Kamohoa, Osirius, Weiss, Jaune, Pyrrha... and then the final image struck into his mind like a sharp spike of iron.

Ramming down into his spine, the image of Nora, bloody and dead, lay open in his mind. Those light blue eyes that sparked like pools of electricity on chocolate-flavored coffee, dull with a small rivet of blood running down into her orange hair. His fists tightened against the image, as he saw Ren beside her, his face thrown to the ground and still as she was. The horror of the pair dying... Hisode felt like an icy grip clung to his heart, while panic began to form like a rat in a too-small cage in his mind. With every step, more fears leaked into his brain. But then, he remembered Yang so close to him. And he felt something push the terror away. A warmth, a desire inside of him that he felt grow as tall as a fortress around not just his sister and brother, but around RWBY, JNPR, and his two comrades.

It was a desire to protect, to save them, to keep them out of harm's way.

So his hands slid a little tighter around her, protectively. She just felt so natural against his-

"Hey guys! We came tooohhhh wow, you two look soooo cute!" Ruby's voice caused the duo to turn around, looking right at the source. Off to the side, each of them grinning, were their teammates, as well as Sun. The two glanced at each other from the corner of their eyes, before darting over their hands.. before Hisode and her sprung apart with scoffs and laughs. But before they could get into too much detail, a police officer stepped from the side of the building.

"Pardon us, kids, but we'll have to take you all back to Beacon. Your headmistress has given us the use of one of Beacon's Bullheads... but I should warn you, she sounds extremely angry," he added, just barely suppressing the smile on his face. As one, the students all gave a shudder and glanced at each other, until Hisode sat up right.

"Ah, sir, I'll have to decline... I took my bike with me, and it's registered as part of my team. It's... a long story, sir, but you'll have to understand that I must travel with my partner. I am the leader of my team, no man left behind, fare thee well my comrades!" With that, he turned and ran as fast as he could, jumping the gate with a grunt, as the others gave cries of indignation.

"HEY! COME BACK HERE! YOU JACKASS! I DON'T WANNA GET STUCK WITH THE DONUT DIPSHITS! YOU GET BACK HERE NOW AND BE A FUCKING LEADER, YOU COCK-SUCKING COWARD! HISODE! YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!"

"Leader! Hold on a second! Wait for- whoops! Sorry officer...! Hisode!"

"No fair! I don't want Goodwitch to be mad at me alone! Take me with you, guys! I can't let Dad hear I got taken by the police! I don't want to face her wrath by myself!"

"Unhand me! I am the Heir to the Schnee Dust Corporation and I will have your badges if you do not let me stand with my comrades! Now let me punish that dunder head for DARING TO LEAVE WITHOUT ME!"

The only exception sounds he could hear were the sound of Sun's amused laugh filling the air and the sound of Blake's high heels clacking on the pavement as she tried to catch up. But there was another sound, the sound of boot-clad footsteps, as Hisode slid over the ground to Cinereous, parked against an alleyway. She had been kept in the dark, and there was no way to hotwire the motorcycle, so it had been safe, but he still released a breath of air as he saw her. With a press of the top, he watched the upper half slide away, exposing the interior, and began to climb in.

The moment his feet touched the inside, he felt a second person slip in behind him, against the backrest and slide her arms around his waist, before Yang's grinning face appeared over his shoulder.

"Hi-ho, Hand-some! Quick, before they try and stuff us into the cars! You'll never take us alive!"

Her laughter, so much like tinkling bells, only grew as he revved the throttle of the motorcycle, before they rapidly peeled out, amid the shouts from Kamohoa ("YOU PAIR OF ASSHOLES! GET BACK HERE AND SAVE OUR ASSES!") and Weiss ("You dunceheads! You forgot me!"). They'd talk tomorrow, after a night of sleep and a lecture from Goodwitch.

Tonight, they'd made an impact.

* * *

Torchwick's hand shook slightly as he flicked his lighter open and lit up one of his cigars. Tonight had been a complete failure, speaking in terms of Dust. They'd failed to pick up much of anything, and quite a few of the terrorists had gotten taken down by a group of seven teenagers. The only reason Torchwick had gotten away was currently sat on a crate, one hand holding a large tub of chocolate chip mint swirl ice cream while the other used a spoon to quickly devour the contents. He wasn't sure when she picked it up, nor did he worry too much. What DID worry him would be when she'd hear about this.

Putting down the case of what little dust he'd been able to snatch for the week, Torchwick took a slow inhale, enjoying the feel of the smoke crawling down his neck.

"How very disappointing, Roman."

"WHOA!" Turning around, he nearly dropped the cigar from his lips, as he saw the black-haired figure of his nightmares slowly stepping forward. Flaking her were her two minions, but the true threat was the woman who's yellow eyes burned and stared into his own eyes. They burned and flared just like a pair of buildings burning. "Uhhh... heh, wasn't expecting to see you guys so soon..."

"And we expected much more from you. We expected you to have gained much more than you currently carry... Perhaps our judgement was... misplaced?" The clacking of her high heels as she approached filled the air, as Neo jumped to her feet and reached for her sword. However, Roman immediately stepped between them and held his hands up.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting to get jumped by Red, or her team. Especially not that six armed Crossbred Faunus freak, or his stooges!"

In moments, Cinder stopped her footsteps, but now her eyes narrowed, looking right into his own.

"Crossbred Faunus? What in the world are you prattl-"

"Some crazy ass teenager with Faunus traits of TWO species! Kid had a tail like a scorpion and six arms covered in black bullet proof bullshit! I had expected those animals to handle things, but all they did was get their asses handed to em. They couldn't even pick the dust up like you wanted. Not to mention his best friends, one of whom looked like he was carrying Atlas tech for arms, and I mean that quite literally, and the other one who was all wrapped up like a mummy. That little bastard tried to shoot my hat off! And then the big guy, he blew up one of the Bullheads! I did not sign up to fight with some sort of specialized operative bastards!"

Before Roman could continue his tirade, however, his speech was stopped when Cinder Falls flicked her hand, exploding the cigar in his mouth. It barely avoided his face, but the scowl on her face did not look any less deadly as she crossed her arms.

"Roman Torchwick, I would remind you of your place. You are to fulfill your duties. That is all that is required. If you cannot handle them, I shall be quite happy to have someone else handle your job. Do not forget how easily a "King of Crime" can be replaced with one much, much more able. Now, I will ask for details about this team... Emerald and Mercury, after Roman explains himself, you two shall keep an eye out for these trio whenever you go into town... Especially this Crossbred. I have a very important call to make..."

* * *

Nos. 1-9 stood at attention, their eyes locked ahead of themselves. Each of varying sizes and colors, but with as close to similar body types as could be feasible with the genetic manipulation that luck caused. Their red and black bodysuits all shined under the bright, sterile lights of the laboratory, as Arthur Watts leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Each and every single one of them had been given the most powerful training, with No. 9 being the strongest in physical aspects. It was why she was the leader... but there remained a spot missing. Only one, but it was the most important one of their collection:

Serial Number 99.

How many failures had he come to, before that particular Serial had been created? How many times had there been nothing but empty progress, without a sign of success? He had spent many times pulling at his mustache with furious anger, before having to straighten it out for hours. Failure upon failure, never meeting the proper projection for one of the Numbers. And then... as if by some miracle by Salem herself, Serial Number 99 had been created. But before he could have finished training the Serial, Arthur's laboratory had been breached by a huntress from one of the foreign kingdoms. Most likely, she had been trained by Ozpin, the self-rightous bastard. But when she fled, she took Serial Number 99. And just like that, Fate stuck the knife into Arthur's plans for his Queen.

A display opened upon his holographic monitor, displaying an incoming call through the secure connection. Cinder, of course. With a single press on a button, Arthur leaned back in his seat and sighed.

"Yes, Cinder? Have you already lost my virus for the CCT? Or perhaps you've called me up because you've managed to-"

"Still trying to find that Serial Number 99, Watts?" Cinder's smirk only increased when Arthur's rumblings were paused by her own words. The two "comrades", and the word stung like a rapier wasp's sting on the tongue and was only slightly less toxic to the taste, wordlessly stared at each other, before he leaned forward ever so slightly. The words he spoke were measured carefully, like the grains for an hour glass.

"And if I were, Cinder? What would you have for me then? Perhaps some sort of request? Perhaps you wish me to bow down and kiss your feet? Or have you come to gloat, to say that you have not lost such important- Oh, but wait, you have! Tell me, how did your encounter with the Fall Maiden go, again?"

Alright, so the last part wasn't so much measured like glass as it was dumped like a child attempting their first cake. It was still fun to remind the poor, little, self-serving witch of her failures. It was almost as much fun as designing a new virus, or creating one of the many robotics he used for training performances and the Final Exams. The two stared at each other with a glare, before Cinder gave the slightest smirk.

"...I might have an idea where your Serial is. But I have to say, if he is? Well, he's most likely a student of Beacon Academ-" was all she got out of her mouth before Arthur leaned forward with a scowl on his face. The look in his eyes, while not scary, was something much different than she'd most likely thought natural. For good reason, of course: If Serial Number 99 was indeed to be located at Beacon, there could be no telling of the trouble to retrieve the data of the Serial missing for almost 17 years... or what that possible entailed

"If this is a trick, Cinder, I will have one of my Numbers end you like the flickering flame of a candle stick. And yet, even with your abilities, I can only see you screwing this up somehow if you attempted it on your own." The venom in his voice was acid born from hate and bitterness, only matched by what ever kinds of poison Tyrian would store within his favorite killing tool. "As such, I'll be sending one of them along to find Serial Number 99. Use them as you see fit, but when and if they find my Serial, do not attempt to swindle your way into more power. We both know how THAT will turn out. Until then, ta-ta and fare-thee-well," and with that, he ended the call with a sharp jab of his finger.

Turning toward the group, who stood at attention with their arms crossed behind their backs, the nine subjects stood perfectly aligned. His fingers pulled over his mustache, as he thought his answer out. After several moments, he stepped from his chair and approached the one best suited for the task:

"No. 9... You shall be tasked with a new mission, and I recommend you become acquainted with your new name: Nelliel Jet. You have a very important job to undertake in the Kingdom of Vale..."

* * *

Roman slumped against the wall, watching as Cinder and her band of misfits walked away. After several moments, seeing them far enough away, the sound of shattering glass broke the air beside him. At his side, a glare cast toward them, Neo stood with her umbrella held over one shoulder. For a moment, neither one of them spoke, merely waiting until the trio had left. They knew about the green haired girl's big ability to mess with people's mind, it was why Neo had hidden herself so well. For all the crazy in the girl, she was smarter than most people gave her credit for.

"...This doesn't look good, Neo. You notice how she turned around when I mentioned that kid? Something tells me they're important... way more important than we are," he added as he pulled another one of his cigars out of his mouth. Neo, giving him a frown, flicked the lighter and lit it up for him, leaving him to breath the tender smoky flavor as he sighed. Thank Fortune that they were friends... she might be crazy at times, and sadistic, but she could also help him out of the worst moments, such as dealing with the Megabitch herself. "The worst part is, even after all of this, they'll just want to kill us both... I'll probably be a char-broiled dummy for her to use as target practice. No real way out of this ordeal, kid. Doubt there's even some kind of out for us."

Neo, giving a frown, started to give a nod, before her eyes snapped wide. It was a little shock, even for Roman, when she did so due to her double eye tones. It was even more shocking when she'd break into a huge grin, exactly as she was now. Turning toward the criminal mastermind quickly, she lifted her hands up and began to make rapid signs with her hands, as if gesturing to something she'd thought of.

"What? What are you trying to say, Neo? Calm down and go slower, it's hard for me to understand whenever you get too excited."

Rolling her eyes, the girl lifted up her hand and pointed one finger upward, then gestured back toward where the trio had just walked off. She then screwed her face up to look just like the confident smirk like Cinder had, the same kind of face Roman had partly wanted to smack the hell out of, purely by instinct, and the other part of him wanted to hide in fear. She was too good at making faces, even as she moved on to make the silver haired grunt's arrogant pose and look, before ending it with... a look of pure adoration off to the side. It almost made him laugh with how ridiculous it looked.

"Ok, so... we have a choice, and one of them is sticking with Cinder and her crazy ass people? Not the best choice. Also, that was pretty good," he added, rubbing the girl's bushy pink hair. Immediately, Neo gave her own happy smile, before she pushed his hand away while she stepped back.

With a second finger held up, she held up her umbrella, then mimicked cutting her own throat, before pointing back at the group again.

"Nah... doubt we could get away with it, or that we could pull it off. She's probably got several kinds of back ups in case we ever did turn rogue. She'd probably try to hurt you, and as much of a coward as I am, I ain't planning to let that happen to you." Roman had seen enough of hopeless endeavors back at Mountain Glenn, and this... this was even worse. At least then he'd had people he could trust in. Now, it was just him and Neo, along with the dumb animals that the White Fang tried to hide they were.

Neo tapped her chin with the point of her umbrella. It would have made a few people flinch, considering that the umbrella itself was hard enough to crush bone. But then Neo blinked and stood straight. Immediately, she held up three fingers, before giving him that impish smile.

Roman knew from that smile that she had something planned. He'd seen her use it many times when she wanted to steal from one of the shops around Vale, or when she wanted to make a drunken lout from their home base regret trying to mess with the short Ice Cream Queen. He learned that the smile was mostly a warning bell, and right now, it was chiming like crazy. When she began to sign her idea to him, Roman almost felt the floor beneath him drop out from under him.

"ARE YOU FUCKING BATSHIT LOCO?!"

* * *

**And with that, Volume 1's era has ended. For now, I'll be taking a short break to catch up on another project of mine, but don't fear! This won't take me long to come back, and I will continue the story of BCKM, RWBY, and JNPR! But what could Neo be planning? Will Kamohoa and Ruby ever stop being adorable with each other? Will Ren finally accept that Nora is his soul mate? Will Rooster Teeth stop beating the goddamn bush and put them together!?**

**I have no idea for the last one, but for the other answers, find out in a few months time!**


End file.
